Damon Salvatore Must Die
by Crazychicke
Summary: Based on the movie John Tucker Must Die. With new friends, Bonnie, Lexi & Elena by her side, Caroline finds herself in the middle of a plan to crush Damon Salvatore's heart. But feelings are fragile things. She must decide what is more important, her new popularity or the truth. Damon ships, plus a side of Steroline. AU/Human.
1. Damon Salvatore Must Die

**Disclaimer: Not mine as much as I wish it. A/N: I've come up with a thousand ideas to adapt as SC movie stories, and this was one of them. I also love the friendships created between the four girls. I hope you enjoy this as much as the others. Reviews welcome. x (P.S I don't want Damon to die, it's just the title of the movie!).**

 **Damon Salvatore Must Die**

 **1.**

Caroline Forbes sat beside the other kids at the Spelling Bee, waiting for her turn. Her mother, Liz Forbes, hurried inside the assembly hall, wearing her Sheriff uniform, and an encouraging smile. When it was Caroline's turn to spell the word 'Anonymous', she shed a bright smile, and her dignity. The blast of the horn for her spelling error, and her walk of shame from the stage, gave her nightmares of public speaking. She was five.

It was in 7th Grade when Caroline realized she was invisible, and after turning 17, she moved from Chicago to Mystic Falls. She unpacked a box of her belongings, when she heard a knock on the door. "Ben," the boy mumbled about being their new neighbour and shoved a plate of brownies beneath her nose. "Hi, I'm Caroline, we just moved here," she said, pointing over her shoulder at her mother. "That's your mum!?" Ben stared at Liz Forbes moving furniture around behind them.

His reaction, Caroline was used to; her mother never had trouble landing men, she just had trouble keeping them. There had been so many since her parents' divorce five years ago, Caroline couldn't keep up, so when a new guy popped up in their lives, Caroline called them 'Skip' because that's what they did, and Liz would bake the only thing she knew how: a _Sara Lee_ chocolate cake with frosting, and asked to be transferred to the next town. So, being invisible had its perks, it made leaving town easier, because Caroline had no friends to miss her.

* * *

But in the few short months of being at Mystic Falls' High, Caroline went from being invisible to being a legend. She sat watching Damon play basketball, curious to see the hall erupt whenever he got a point. The cheerleaders screamed and waved their pom-poms, the commentator pushed her way onto the sidelines to grab an interview, and a girl in the crowd, waved a poster campaigning for Animal Rights. "Go Damon!" came the collective scream.

Caroline checked the time, she had a shift at the Grill. "Seriously?" She watched Damon's teammates carry him on their shoulders like he was their God, or something. By the time her ears had stopped ringing, she'd made it to work, where she waited tables three nights a week. Matt Donovan, the barman, wiped down the bench as she waited for an order. "Alaric said to tell you to cover Table 6, April went home sick." Caroline nodded, flipping open her notepad, almost dropping it when she saw Damon Salvatore, showered and seated right in front of her.

"...Hi, uh, are you ready to order?" she squeaked, finding herself lost in his blue eyes. "Hey," he smiled. "Not yet, I'm waiting for someone." She saw the table set for two, and nodded. "Oh, sure, I'll come back." She gave him a nervous laugh, retreating while thinking of her God-like comment, and to her horror, curtseyed in front of him. She hurried to the bar to put some ice on her flushed cheeks. "Did you just curtsey?" Matt smirked, finding the whole thing amusing.

"Shut up," she hissed, stunned when Bonnie Bennett entered, still wearing her cheer outfit. "Head cheerleader with the Captain of the Basketball Team, of course." Caroline returned to their table, trying to decipher their orders between their obvious desire to suck face. "Seriously, we might as well give them both burgers, I doubt they're going to care what they're eating," she said once she was back at the bar. Matt flicked his damp tea-towel over his shoulder. "Okay, but if Alaric asks, it was your idea."

Her next shift arrived, and Caroline returned to work, wondering if she might see Damon again. "Care, you're on Table 6, again," Matt said, taking somebody's drink order. She looked up to see Damon Salvatore on a date with Lexi Branson, the president of the Mystic Falls' Film School. Lexi was practicing her French, when Caroline stopped by their table. "You are so sexy when you speak French," Damon complimented her, earning him a kiss.

Caroline cleared her throat. "Excuse me, are you ready to order?" she asked, tapping her pen against her notepad. Damon caressed Lexi's hand, and ordered for them both. Caroline hurried to the kitchen, catching Matt's teasing comment, "What no curtsey this time?" and poked her tongue out at him. Her last shift for the week arrived, and she almost knocked over Matt's stack of clean wine glasses. "Seriously?" she hissed, pointing at Elena, who seemed upset.

"I'm sorry, babe, I've never been here before, if I knew there was meat on the menu, I wouldn't have come," Damon lied, sitting at his usual table. "It's okay, I'll just order a salad," Elena reassured him, turning over the menu. Caroline asked for their order, half surprised Damon didn't acknowledge her. This was the third time she had waited his table that week. She left them discussing Veganism, and met Matt behind the bar. "How do they not know he's cheating on all of them?" she hissed.

Matt sighed, pouring cocktails. "Because he dates within different cliques, that way they don't interact, and Damon gets away with it." Caroline watched April and Alaric in the kitchen. "How do you know all this?" she asked. Matt grimaced. "Because my sister, Vicki, used to date him. When he broke it off, she was such a mess, I had to put her on a bus out of Mystic Falls." Caroline watched Elena lean in to kiss Damon. "Skip," she murmured. "What did you say?" Matt asked, passing the cocktails to Caroline. "Nothing," she mumbled.

* * *

Caroline walked through the school halls thinking about what Matt had said about Damon. Stalls were everywhere, students trying to gain new members to their clubs, societies and team sports. Bonnie Bennett wore her cheer outfit, looking as confident as ever. Damon squeezed Bonnie's waist, stopping to say hello. Caroline frowned, following him from a distance. Around the corner, Lexi Branson, president of all the school societies, sold cupcakes, letting him lick the frosting from her finger. Further down the hall, Damon stole two kisses from Elena, before disappearing into the gym.

But nobody, not even Damon Salvatore could have predicted Black Tuesday. Basically, their gym teacher, Carol Lockwood, had a heart attack and fell down the stairs (because Damon smiled at her in passing). Whilst Carol lay in the hospital bed, contemplating her early retirement, and because of that, all first period gym classes were combined. Caroline ended up in the same group as Bonnie, Lexi and Elena. She tried to introduce herself, but her bubbly personality seemed to be a deterrent.

"You're, Bonnie, I'm Caroline," she said, trying to make a good impression. "So," Bonnie shrugged, walking onto the Volleyball court. Elena and Lexi were already in position. "You'll never guess who I'm dating," Lexi announced to her friend. "Who?" her friend asked. "Damon Salvatore," Lexi whispered. Caroline watched Bonnie serve the volley ball straight into Lexi's head.

"What is your problem?" Lexi confronted Bonnie, whilst Caroline and Elena exchanged surprised looks. "I'm dating Damon Salvatore!" Bonnie shoved Lexi back a few paces. Lexi shoved Bonnie. "Girls, stop it, neither of you are dating Damon Salvatore, he's mine!" Elena shouted. "Damon Salvatore is in love with me!" Bonnie threw the ball at Elena, who ducked, hitting Caroline in the face.

The force of the throw knocked Caroline over, and the secret she kept had overstayed its welcome. "This guy is cheating on all of you and instead of taking it out on him you're beating the shit out of each other?" Caroline blurted, cupping her nose. Elena, Bonnie and Lexi, were a tangled mess of limbs when Josette Parker, their sub, blew her whistle. "You four, detention!"

* * *

Caroline found detention empty, apart from a guy with headphones who hadn't seen her. "I want you to want me, I need you to need me, I'd love you to love me," he sang, peering over a computer. "I'm begging you to beg me, I'll shine up the old brown," by this point he had seen Caroline's smirk. "SHIZEN! Sorry, it's," he took off his earphones, apologising. " _Cheap trick,_ I understand. Can't really hum to _Cheap Trick_ ," she said, pulling some homework from her bag.

The guy smiled, agreeing. "Once you start you have to belt it out." A few seconds passed. "I'm Stefan, you're from chemistry right?" She nodded, glad she wasn't totally invisible. "Yeah, so where is everyone?" At his confused look, she added, "Detention?" It was Stefan's turn to smirk. "You came early to Detention?" She stuttered, feeling stupid. "Well, I would hate to miss a minute of being detained..." she smiled, pulling her gaze from Stefan when she heard Damon Salvatore outside.

He flirted with the girl at the Poetry Club stand. "Ugh," she returned to her books. Stefan seemed surprised. "Not usually the reaction you'd get from girls. Usually, they're all like," and he made sex noises, making Caroline laugh. "Jerk's not really my type..." she explained. He raised his eyebrows. "You know, you're the first girl to say that." She put down her pen, catching some bitterness in his voice. "I thought he was your guys' god or something..?" Stefan packed up his bag.

"Close, he's my older brother," he made a face. "Oh, you're the other Salvatore...?" she asked. He pointed at her. "What is that, is that like the loser Salvatore?" he retorted, making Caroline regret saying it. "You just don't look like..." _Just shut up, stop talking!_ Caroline's face flushed. "Hot, buff, and able to score a jump shot?" Stefan shook his head. "Want to learn a secret tho, my mum said I'm special on the inside," he swung his bag onto his shoulder.

Caroline smiled. "Good for you," she said, turning back to her books, happy she might have made at least one friend. Stefan gave her a curious smile, and left her alone.

 **A/N: I did not expect to finish this so soon, but here is the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed it. And, I have a few surprises in mind which may differ to the movie, I'm sure you'll tell me if you liked them or not. Be sure to check out my other stories, whilst you wait for the next chapter x**


	2. The Game Plan

**Disclaimer: Not mine as much as I wish. A/N: THANK YOU! I'm so happy so many of you like this story. I will update it as soon as I can, currently writing three other fanfics, because I'm a crazy person. Do point out any typos if you see them. x**

 **The Game Plan**

 **2.**

Caroline had almost finished her chemistry homework, when Bonnie, Lexi and Elena came into Detention, dropping their bags onto the farthest table. When Alaric went to photocopy something in the next room, Bonnie said, "I talked to Damon. He felt bad for you, he said you were jealous, because we share something special, something we don't have to label-" Lexi closed her planner and said, "-because it's our unspoken bond, and I just love how secure you are-" Elena interrupted, "-and it hurts me to hear you question it, because you're the only girl for me!" They finished the last sentence together, appalled.

Caroline rolled her eyes. _Hadn't she told them in Gym class?_ Damon, just like her mother's Skips, were loyal only to themselves, it didn't matter if they lied or cheated, so long as they didn't get caught. The girls started arguing. "What are you going to do, cheer me to death?" Elena scoffed at Bonnie's cheerleading uniform. Bonnie narrowed her eyes. "Damon wants a love that consumes him," Elena continued. "I bet you're all consuming," Bonnie retorted. "Intimacy," Elena drowned her out, "both the physical and emotional kinds," she explained. "Shut up!" Caroline blurted, unable to concentrate on her homework.

"What did you say?" Bonnie, Elena and Lexi turned in their seats. Caroline tapped her pen against her book, regretting the interruption. Their eyes bore into hers. She sighed. "Let me guess, he always uses pet names, like 'baby' and 'sweetheart'? Yeah, not out of affection, it's so he doesn't mess up your names. And yeah, it's all about an unspoken bond or something special, but never about a relationship," Caroline stated, gaining confidence. "So what, we break up with him?" Lexi asked, getting protests from Elena and Bonnie.

Caroline shook her head. "No, I'd get even," she shrugged. "Who did you say you were again?" Elena asked, impressed. Caroline smiled, about to say, when Alaric returned with his photocopying, telling them to be quiet. Well, she thought, at least for a moment there, she wasn't invisible.

* * *

They spent a few minutes after detention brainstorming ways to get even with Damon. Lexi tapped her pen against her knee. "We need to know what makes him tick - is it his charm, that perfect tan...?" she wrote a few things down in her film studies' book, her wavy hair falling over her face. "It's everything..." Elena gushed, zoning out. Bonnie rolled her eyes. Lexi prompted them. "So how do we get even?" she asked. Caroline exchanged a vacant look with Elena. "Well, in cheer we undermine the other team's confidence," Bonnie shrugged, giving Caroline an idea.

"We make Damon undateable," Caroline grinned, gaining nods of approval from her new friends.

It seemed like the perfect game plan. Elena called her contact at Vogue, Sarah Nelson, who knew what it felt like to live a lie. Sarah snapped some smouldering photographs, much to Damon's uneasiness. "Come on baby," Elena coaxed him during the shoot, "It's important to me, and later, I promise, we'll do whatever you want," she said, smiling when Damon pulled off his shirt. Afterwards, Lexi received a USB with the photographs on it, and plugged them into her laptop. "Oh, Damon, you are going down," she whispered, giving Elena the thumbs up.

The next day at school, they had a movie showing for English. Bonnie, Elena, Lexi and Caroline took the back row of the theatre, where Damon Salvatore and his new date, Rebekah Mikaelson cuddled in the middle row. An advertisement with Damon's photographs came on screen. Lexi relaxed in her seat, grinning. "Isn't that you?" Rebekah pointed. Damon shrugged. "Yeah, I was helping a friend with some part-time modelling," confusion washed over his face and Elena snorted into her hand. Caroline's eyes flickered over the slogan which appeared on screen, holding her breath.

" _THIS IS THE FACE OF GENITAL HERPES_!" it read. The theatre and those in it stared at Damon Salvatore, and then, Rebekah dropped the drink they'd shared, shoving him away. "Get away from me!" she yelled. Bonnie and Elena threw popcorn at Damon, humiliating him further, and forcing him to flee. Lexi and Elena hi-fived each other, but their success did not last. At the end of the day, an emergency assembly was called, and the girls stared in disbelief as Damon accepted an award for bringing awareness on Genital Herpes. "I am proud to give my voice to the silent, and be the poster boy for kids too scared to speak up about their conditions," he said.

 _They had totally underestimated Damon Salvatore._

* * *

"Are we missing something?" Lexi asked from Caroline's kitchen stool, her fingers poised on her laptop's keyboard. Bonnie sighed, "I am, my social life," she complained, checking _Facebook._ Elena leaned over Lexi's shoulder, staring at Damon's photoshoot, annoyed. "We almost had him," she growled. A car door shut, and minutes later the fly screen opened, alerting them. Liz dropped some grocery bags onto the bench. "Oh, hi girls," she smiled, still wearing her Sheriff's jacket. "School project?" she asked, unpacking the bags and glancing at the snacks and Lexi's laptop.

"Yeah, sort of, we're destroying a man," Bonnie said pouring some vitamins into her hand. "Hmm, play nice. I'm off to take a shower," Liz said, pulling off her jacket and giving Caroline a pressing look. "Your mum is hot!" Elena hissed, shoving the frozen dinners into the fridge. "She does yogalates," Caroline explained, putting the fruit away. Elena saw Bonnie swallow the vitamins, snatching the bottle from the coffee table. "You're taking Estrogen? They torture horses for this, it's made from their pee!" she said, aghast.

Bonnie looked at her chest. "I want to go up another bra size, that's all," she said. Caroline watched them argue, listening to Lexi's frantic fingers typing. Bonnie frowned as Elena read aloud the ingredients, and Caroline squashed the paper bags down, putting her knowledge to use. "It can be dangerous to play with growth hormones, Bonnie, never turns out well," she said. "Yeah, when you run out, you're going to grow a moustache and a penis!" Elena retorted, poking out her tongue. Bonnie recoiled from the bottle, "Are you serious?" she gaped.

Lexi swung around in her chair, her eyes bright. ""Estrogen! Bonnie, you're a genius! We'll strip Damon of his masculinity! We'll replace the power in his energy booster with the powder in the capsules and have him thrown off the basketball team, it's brilliant!" she said, bringing her laptop to the couch, whilst Elena and Caroline double-dipped their carrots into the French Onion dip.

* * *

They were in the gym, and Bonnie had just finished cheerleading practice, making sure Damon was distracted by his team mates, before she tipped the Estrogen powder into his energy booster. She had just stepped away from the table when Damon caught her round the middle. "Hey Bon-Bon," he grinned. "I'm trying to tone up before the big away game, what do you think?" he flexed his muscles, his white singlet covered in sweat, wiggling his eyebrows. Bonnie frowned. "Really? You should probably double the doses, because it doesn't seem to be working," she said, swinging her sports' bag back and forth, with an extra bounce in her step.

Elena, Lexi and Caroline met her in the girls' locker room, trying to keep their giggles to a minimum. They kept themselves hidden, but smirked when Damon doubled his doses during every break. "Don't forget the game is tonight," Bonnie reminded them, grabbing Caroline's arm. "I'll walk with you, I've got Biology next. We can go to the gym together." Lexi and Elena went off in the opposite direction, and Caroline smiled, Chemistry meant she would get to see Stefan again.

She and Bonnie parted into their separate classrooms, and Caroline opened her textbooks. She saw Stefan through her beaker. He leaned against her desk. "Hey! Can I ask a favour? I'm normally with Matt, but he got burnt pretty badly..." he began. She raised her eyebrows, smiling. "Oh really? And before I say yes, how exactly did he get burnt?" she asked. Stefan ran a hand through his thick hair. "Well, that is up for interpretation. I clearly said, 'dear god Matt, you are on fire'!" He grinned, and she giggled. "Clear warning..." she smirked, reading the method in her text book.

He stood there, doing nothing, and she sighed, pointing to the beaker in front of them. "Okay, you can start by measuring 40ml of that into that." Stefan grabbed the beaker, tipping the clear substance into the large test tube a little too fast for Caroline's liking. He glanced at her, then back to the instruments. "Slow down, get down to eye level, wait for the curvy part to meet at the do-dad," she explained, hovering her hand just above his, and watching the liquid rise. Their hands touched.

She felt his gaze burn into the side of her cheek, but pretended not to notice.

Stefan, on the other hand, jumped, spilling the test tube's contents all over the table, his pants, and the floor. She muffled her screech with her hands, while Stefan danced around the lab yelling, "What is this? Oh my god, it's burning!" and trying to dry his pants without touching them. Caroline dropped her hands from her mouth. "Really? That's interesting, because Sodium Chloride, is salt water..." she smirked. Stefan stood still, returning to their desk. "So I didn't burn myself, just looks like I peed," he said, testing the drop of water in the beaker with his finger.

She laughed, ducking when Stefan flicked his fingers at her. Alaric frowned from the blackboard, and Caroline flicked water back, laughing and flirting, until Alaric threatened another detention. Stefan sat on his hands in silence, his eyes full of mirth, while Caroline re-read the method, aware of her blushing cheeks. After class, she said goodbye to Stefan, and met up with Bonnie. "I have to go get changed, go find a seat, I can't wait to see Damon Salvatore's face..." she smirked. Caroline made her way into the already packed gym, finding a seat up the back.

She saw Elena to her left, sitting with her Environmentalist friends, while Lexi filmed the game from the sidelines. The music was loud, and blarey, and she even caught sight of Stefan, who had come to the game to support his brother. She watched the cheerleaders run out onto the court, performing their cheers, and dancing to the music. She was even a little impressed by Bonnie's performance. The game began, and Caroline, knowing nothing about basketball, settled in her seat, wondering how Damon would react with all the estrogen in his system.

The scoreboard was adding up, and not in the _TimberWolves_ ' favour. Judging by the minutes remaining on the clock, there wasn't much time left in the game. Damon attempted to score points, but was blocked every time, until a collision with the captain of the other team had him sprawled on the gym floor, where he did not move for several minutes. The entire school rose from their seats, shocked to see their Basketball hero lying in a foetus position.

Alaric and Damon's teammates circled him. Whatever Alaric had said, didn't matter, because the crowd got the gist when Damon threw the basketball so it smashed the window into the boys' locked room. "No, I will not! I feel bloated and my nipples hurt," his voice became a high-pitched, shaky scream. "You never listen to me. It's always 'we need you,' and 'shoot Damon', but what about my feelings?!" He sprinted from the gym, and didn't finish the rest of the game, resulting in their first ever loss, leaving the entire team and Damon Salvatore, humiliated.

* * *

For Caroline and her friends, it felt like they were on top of the world. But Damon Salvatore's break down did not make him un-dateable, as they would have liked. His honesty on the basketball court just made girls want him even more, but there was a catch. Bonnie threw her pom poms into her car when Damon caught up to her. "Listen, Bon, I've been thinking," he sighed, holding her car door. "You've been great, but there's only one girl for me, and I don't think that girl's you. I just want to find someone I have a deeper connection to, and I hope we can stay friends."

Caroline had seen the same break up speech, twice already. Bonnie slapped Damon, and watched him return to his Camaro where Rebekah waited for him, an apology on her lips. Caroline hugged her books to her chest, half glad the break-ups had happened, at least that meant she could stop pretending she was good at torturing people. Bonnie honked her car horn, startling her. "Hop in, I'll take you home," she said. Caroline got in. "Is every game that brutal? Mum's working late tonight, I was going to order take-out anyway..." she said. "Sounds good," Lexi said, taking the back seat.

"I can't believe he broke up with us, and he's dating that skank, Rebekah!" Elena hissed, shutting the door. "Did someone say vodka?" Bonnie pulled out of the car park. "We should have broken his heart," she frowned. "Except he broke up with everyone," Caroline added. "Not everyone," Lexi said. It took a minute for Caroline to process their looks. "No! I don't even like him!" she protested. "You don't need to, Damon likes the chase, he loves it when women aren't interested in him," Elena said.

Bonnie turned the car into Caroline's street. "I know what you're thinking, I'm not as _pretty_ as Bonnie; I'm not as _smart_ as Lexi; or as _experienced_ as Elena," she smirked, avoiding Elena's punch in the arm. "But it's okay, that's why you have us!" Bonnie parked the car in Caroline's driveway. "I just think he's going to see straight through me," Caroline whispered. "Only if you wear something see-through," Elena joked. "She definitely needs a new wardrobe," Lexi said, typing something on her laptop. "Guys, I'm not sure this is a good idea," Caroline pressed. Bonnie sighed, "Fine, we'll see you at school tomorrow, just remember it was your idea to get even."

Caroline relented, not wanting to cancel their plans. She pulled the chocolate chip ice-cream from the fridge so it would melt, and baked a cake, making sure to dollop on an extra thick layer of chocolate frosting on top. Elena poured vodka shots, while Bonnie opened a packet of maltesers she had bought from the school vending machine. Caroline munched on a handful of maltesers on her bed. Elena looked up from her phone, distracted. "Did either of you...you know?" she hinted, raising her eyebrows. Lexi scrutinized Elena's straight hair, removing a leaf. "You had sex with him?" she accused. "Break-up sex!" Elena corrected, then at their shocked faces buried her embarrassed face in her hands. "Oh god, I'm such a slut!" she groaned.

Caroline and Bonnie laughed, giving her a hug. Lexi lowered her shot glass. "So, back to Caroline. We've got three months before Damon's birthday, which is always a huge event. If we're going to break his heart, we need him to fall for you, hard. We can test his feelings at the away game, and then at his birthday, _crush him_ ," she smiled, squashing a malteser in her fist. Elena and Bonnie agreed, leaving Caroline to just go with the flow.

* * *

Bonnie invited Caroline into her cheerleading squad, adamant she could teach her how to be more confident with her body, and her attitude. Caroline shook her blond hair in her hands, flicking her hips from side to side, as instructed, and planted her hand against the noticeboard, making a Glee club audition list fall onto the floor. "Who's the new cheerleader?" Damon asked Bonnie, breaking away from his teammates. "She's cute," he added, making Caroline's palms sweat. "Caroline Forbes, and she's not into High School boys," Bonnie smirked, hooking her arm onto Caroline's.

Caroline's heart fluttered in her chest. "Oh my god, he thinks I'm cute. Do you think I should introduce myself? No?" her words trailed off into nothingness. Bonnie gave her an odd look, and they disappeared into the nearest bathroom where Elena and Lexi hid. Bonnie folded her arms. "I think we're sending Caroline in unprepared!" she said. "Tell them what Damon Salvatore said you were," she prompted a nervous Caroline. "Oh, he said I was cute!" she piped up, catching their looks of disappointment. Lexi sighed, "I don't get it, I thought you said you had experience with these kinds of guys?"

"I do, my mum has dated a million of them," Caroline confessed. Bonnie and Lexi looked alarmed. "But have _you_ ever dated one?" Elena pressed. "Have you ever dated at all?" Lexi left her question hanging. Bonnie interrupted them. "She's not ready," she said. Caroline didn't want to let her new friends down, but she knew Bonnie was right. She ran a flustered hand through her hair. "You're right, I'm totally not ready," she said, freaking out. "You just have to make it difficult for him," Lexi said. Bonnie nodded, "If it's easy, he'll move on!" Elena washed her hands in the sink. "So, Damon really said you were cute?" she asked in a conversational tone.

Caroline nodded. "Yeah," she smiled, then realized she was being tested. She gripped the bathroom sink, annoyed at herself. "He'll never go for me," she worried. Lexi rested a hand on her shoulder. "Look, just count to three before you answer him, okay?" Caroline didn't respond. "Okay?" Lexi repeated, shaking her. "I was counting to three," Caroline shrugged. "Not that slow, he'll think you're slow," Elena sighed, fluffing up Caroline's hair. "I'm going to be Damon," Elena said, adjusting her jacket, and her hair. "Bonnie, you be Caroline," she ordered.

Bonnie pouted. "I don't want to be Caroline, you be Caroline," she said. "Can I be Caroline?" Caroline raised her hand. Lexi pushed her in front of Elena. "Fine, Caroline can be Caroline, just go, before someone sees us talking," Lexi warned. Elena pretended to be Damon, thinking up several scenarios which could come up. Caroline failed two out of three. "Repeat after me," Bonnie said, as Lexi raised her video camera. "Damon Salvatore, there's only one guy out there for me, and you are not him!" Caroline repeated her, gaining confidence. "Remember, attitude," Bonnie hissed, shoving Caroline into the hall.

Caroline collected herself, avoiding Damon and walked towards her chemistry class. "You must be new," Damon's arm hugged her shoulders, and Caroline remembered to count to three. "Well, not that new, but since you're a cheerleader, and I'm captain of the _TimberWolves_ , then I'm obligated to take you out," he said, walking with her. She slipped from his grip, frowning. "Sorry, but I'm going to have to pass," she said, without giving him an explanation. "You busy?" Damon asked, confused. She smiled. "Sure, yeah, I'm busy," and she left, without a second glance.

Caroline arrived to her first ever chemistry class completely unorganised. She felt self-conscious in her cheerleading outfit, because she wasn't sure what Stefan would think. He seemed taken back, and she tried to convince him she'd promised her mother she'd join some school societies to make new friends. "If you say so," he murmured, returning to their experiment. She tried to ignore the feeling that she'd done something to hurt him, looking up when there was a knock on the door.

A boy delivered a bouquet of white roses into Caroline's bewildered arms. "Oi, what are those, and why are they in my science lab?" Alaric demanded. The entire class ogled her, then a gasp alerted her to the eleven other boys standing outside the door, eager to deliver their flowers too. An announcement rang out above them. "Caroline Forbes, this is Damon Salvatore, and I'm not going to give up that easy, so, if you liked the roses, call me on 555-6467."

Stefan didn't talk to her all period. She wished she could tell him what was going on, but she didn't think he'd approve, he was Damon's brother after all, and besides she had promised Lexi, Bonnie and Elena. Alaric hadn't been pleased his science lab had been turned into a florist, and rapped his ruler against the blackboard to get their attention. "I'm glad you have a social life, Caroline, but please keep it outside my classroom. Now, back to your experiments, you have ten minutes," he reminded them.

Caroline pushed the roses aside, embarrassed. Stefan didn't return her smile. "I'm going to go help Matt, I think he's finally forgiven me for last week," he said. "Oh, sure, good luck then," she said, watching him retreat, and realized without his books, she had no hope of completing the experiment. After class, Caroline bumped into Damon Salvatore who was waiting for her outside the classroom door."Hey, did you like the roses?" he grinned, adjusting his leather jacket. She counted to three. "Yeah, if you like that sort of thing," she shrugged, pretending not to care.

Stefan gave her a questioning look, and patted Damon on the shoulder. "See you at home, brother," he said. Caroline looked back at Damon's expectant expression. "Because I didn't get a phone call..." he added, his smile faltering. Caroline kept walking, turning around to say, "I didn't have a pen," she shrugged, feeling liberated and smiled, imagining him staring after her trying to figure out what he did wrong.

* * *

Damon crept into Stefan's room, seeing his brother immersed in homework, humming to some tune with his headphones on. He pulled the seat from beneath him, laughing when Stefan yelled in fright, and became tangled in his headphone cords. "Don't do that!" Stefan yelled, trying to untangle himself. Damon held out his hand, pulling his little brother to his feet. "Hey, I need a favour, there's this girl..." he began. Stefan sat back down. "Caroline, yeah, I know, we're in chemistry together," he said, in a flat tone. "Then you know the kinds of things she likes?" Damon's eyes lit up in excitement.

Stefan leaned back in his chair. "She's deep, Damon. I don't think you're her type," he ventured. Damon chuckled, "Steffy, I'm everyone's type," he bragged, punching Stefan in the arm. "I just need you to tell me the kinds of things she's into, help me out, you know?" Damon asked, slapping Stefan on the back. Stefan sighed, pulling out his iPod. "She likes _Cheap Trick_ , you know, the 'I want You to Want me Song' from _10 Things I Hate About You_?" Damon shook his head. "Here, listen to this," Stefan said, giving his brother a CD with 'Don't you (Forget about Me)' from Simple Minds on it.

"Thanks Stefan," Damon said, smiling. Stefan closed his chemistry book, and put Caroline out of his mind, it didn't matter if he liked her or not, Damon had his sights set on her, there was no point fighting it. Stefan had thought she was different to the other girls at Mystic Falls, but it seemed he was wrong.

 **A/N: What did you think? Don't leave me hanging... comment below. Thanks muchly x**


	3. Dating Damon Salvatore

**Disclaimer: Not mine as much as I wish. A/N: Val, I'm glad you like it! :P Sorry for the delay, starting a new job this week, so I've had to fill out lots of paperwork. R &R! Enjoy x**

 **Dating Damon Salvatore**

 **3.**

Caroline hummed to herself, arranging Damon's roses in vases around her room. Lexi, Bonnie and Elena chatted about their next move to destroy Damon Salvatore as Caroline plopped onto her bed. "Are we sure this is a good idea?" she asked. Elena sat up on her knees. "Caroline, this is for every guy out there who's lied to every girl," she said. "He broke our hearts," Lexi pressed. "Remember you're going to be legend!" Bonnie said. _And a legend is better than being invisible_ , Caroline convinced herself.

* * *

Caroline bumped into Stefan on the way back from the library. She carried two bags of library books, one slung around her neck and the other cutting off the blood circulation in her arm. "Damon asked you to spy on me?" she asked. Stefan nodded. "He's having me tail you to find out what I can. I'm meant to be playing it cool and not giving anything away," he shrugged. Caroline laughed, glad they were friends again. "You're the worst spy in the world..." she said, adjusted her bags.

"That's what you think, who's chatting up the girl, and who's waiting by the phone?" Stefan smirked. She blushed, dropping her books, and groaned when her second library bag strained against her neck. "Ow! Neck kink!" she complained, poised like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. "That's probably those new cheer muscles of yours," Stefan muttered, picking them up for her. "Are you making fun of me?" she asked. He grinned, "maybe," and lowered the strap over her head.

Caroline giggled, lost in his gaze. "We should probably get to class," she said, looking away. Stefan took several steps backwards. "Yeah, me too," he said, walking in the opposite direction. Amused, she called out to him. "Ah, Stefan, class is this way," she said. He froze mid step. "Yeah, I, uh, I was going to get a snack from the vending machine. Want anything?" he asked. She shook her head. "No thanks, I'm fine," and entered class, smiling.

* * *

Caroline stood in her cheerleading uniform, shaking her red and black pom poms and wondering how Bonnie, Lexi or Elena stayed so calm, when their plan to destroy Damon Salvatore hadn't progressed further than her declining his date. She watched him unzip his basketball jersey, chatting adamantly to Stefan in the crowd, and worried Damon had moved on from her?

"I think I really blew it with Damon, I mean he hasn't said a word to me since I turned down his date," she hissed to Bonnie. "Don't worry, everything will be fine," Bonnie said, pulling her in line with the other cheerleaders. Caroline tried not to panic, but as she smiled and cheered for the _TimberWolves_ she became increasingly paranoid. In the breaks, Damon kept his distance, handing with his team mates. "But how do you know?" she hissed, as the game resumed.

"I just know," Bonnie smiled. Damon Salvatore tapped Caroline's shoulder, and she jumped. He grinned, dribbling the basketball near the sidelines, but out of the grasp of the opposition. "Hey Forbes, how are you?" his electric blue eyes held her gaze. "Fine thanks, how are y-you?" she stuttered. "Not so good, you see I like this girl, but she doesn't know I exist-" he sighed. Caroline swallowed, heart thumping in her chest. Alaric yelled at him. "Get back into the game, Salvatore!" Damon replied, "I'm bearing my soul, Coach!" shoving the opposition off him. Alaric pleaded with his star player. "Damon, I understand and respect your emotional needs, but-" Damon tossed the ball to Jesse, who returned it. "So, Friday, we're going to the beach to watch the sunset, you should come..." he resumed his conversation. The crowd began counting down the clock, and Caroline almost dropped a pompom from nerves. He had held the game hostage just to ask her out on a date.

She became caught up in the atmosphere, like everyone else. "If it will make him shoot, okay!" she yelled over the roaring crowd. Damon took a jump shot, with only one minute remaining, and of course, it went in, right on the buzzer. He smirked, giving her a wink before his teammates hugged him, and she giggled, biting her lip, excitement setting in. _She was going on a date with Damon Salvatore._ Bonnie crashed into her. "I told you everything would be ok! We won!" Caroline rested her chin against Bonnie's shoulder, glimpsing Elena hugging Aaron and Lexi being carried away by the _TimberWolves'_ mascot. "Yeah, we did," she grinned.

Stefan stood up from the bleachers, dusting the popcorn from his pants, happy for Damon, and pulled his gaze from Caroline, trying to ignore the jealous feeling in his chest. He bit his lip, making a face, and bumped straight into Rebekah. "Oh sorry," he muttered. "I know that look," she scrutinised him. He pretended to not know what she was talking about. "You like Caroline! Does Damon know?" Stefan dodged her, walking towards the exit. "No, and I'd rather keep it that way." Rebekah sighed, running up to him. "You know, I _hated_ him for dumping me, but he and Caroline, I've never seen him stall a game like that..." Stefan stopped walking. "Maybe it's different this time," he muttered.

"Yeah, it is, you're both in love with the same girl," Rebekah smiled. Stefan gave her a confused look, and she shrugged. "I'm not clueless, Stefan Salvatore, and don't get me wrong, what you're doing is very noble, just be sure it's what you really want," she warned. He frowned, watching Damon signing autographs, then sighed. "It doesn't matter what I want anymore," he muttered.

* * *

Friday came quickly, and Caroline stood in her fluffy pink robe, being pampered by her friends. Bonnie attempted to pin a tiny camera the size of a button to Caroline's black bra strap. "Ouch," Caroline winced for the fourth time. "Sorry, I've never done this before," Bonnie apologised. Elena interrupted. "You put it on her bra? He's going to find it like in the first five minutes!" she hissed, shoving an outfit in Caroline's hands. Lexi tested the camera on her laptop. "Elena, can you speak into the cleavage," she requested.

Elena bent down near Caroline's chest. "Caroline's boob-cam, testing, testing...hello!" Caroline giggled, feeling silly and turned away from Elena's warm breath. Bonnie fixed Caroline's hair. "Okay, it seems to be working. Clothes on, we don't have much time," Lexi said. Caroline emerged from the bathroom wearing an assortment of her friends' tastes; jeans and a fancy cardigan with ballet flats. She twirled on the spot, smiling, when they whistled and clapped. "One more role-play, before we let our girl go out into the big wide world," Bonnie said.

"I can't believe our little girl has grown up so fast!" Elena gushed, then pulled Caroline's waist towards her. "Baby, it's you're lucky day, I'm going to take you out, where do you want to go?" Caroline shrugged. "I don't know what do you want to do?" Lexi stood up from her bed. "No! He's not in control, remember? You are! Try with me. Babe, you know I'm all about what makes you happy, so what movie, anything you want?" she trailed her fingers over Caroline's palm. "What do you think I want, and don't be wrong!" Caroline snapped, pleased to see them all grinning at her.

Lexi adjusted Caroline's cardigan ensuring the boob-cam remained hidden. "It's time," she said, whilst Elena clapped her hands. "We're so going to neuter him!" Elena grinned. Caroline watched them pamper her in the mirror's reflection, smiling - she finally felt like she belonged.

* * *

"Hey, Blondie, you made it," Damon grinned, meeting her near the lake. She removed a stray piece of hair from her mouth, and nodded. Several people she'd never met recognised her. He draped his arm around her shoulders. "Looks like I'm out with the most popular girl in school," he noticed. "Lucky you," she said, admiring the pink and gold tinged clouds on the horizon. "So, tell me about yourself, I want to know everything, the whole story..." Damon asked.

"Oh, my story... it's still being written," she shrugged. "So, it's a mystery!" he said. She nodded, trying to look disinterested. "I like mysteries," he added. "Really?" she asked, forgetting herself. "I mean, what do you like about them?" she frowned. He shrugged, walking them around the lake. "I like secrets," he suggested. "I bet," Caroline muttered. She saw Rebekah warming herself near a campfire, and prodded Damon in the side. "Didn't you two used to date?"

"Hmm?" Damon looked to where she was pointing. "We hung out a few times," he replied. Caroline liked the way his hand caressed her fingers as she walked. He really was a gentleman, she thought.

"Too much talking ruins the moment," Damon whispered, halting her. She eyed him, confused. "I'm just going to stand here and enjoy this." Caroline watched the sun setting behind him. "Damon, the sunset is that way," she said. He grinned. "Nah, I'm just enjoying everyone staring at me in insane jealousy," he said, pleased to see his cheesy line made Caroline blush.

He squeezed her hand. "So, how did I get this lucky? Was it my irresistible charm, or my incredible body?" he smirked, carrying on. She laughed, listening to the lake wash up onto the sand. "I think it was your incredible modesty," she giggled, enjoying his company. "Liar!" he smirked, bumping their shoulders together. Elena, Bonnie and Lexi hid behind some nearby trees. "Oh shit, he's in the zone tonight, I hope she can handle it," Bonnie hissed. "The lake, the sunset," Lexi agreed, glancing at her phone. Elena sighed. "At least there's no romantic fire," she said.

* * *

Caroline snuggled beside Damon, the cool breeze an incentive for the guys to lend their jackets to their date's. She gasped, raising her flaming stick in her hand. "Mine's on fire!" she giggled. Damon blew out the flames, removing the burnt husk. "Perfect," he murmured in her ear. She let the heavenly marshmallow melt on her tongue, resting her head against his shoulder. They sat together sharing marshmallows in front of the fire, and talking well after the sun had set. Caroline noticed Stefan talking with Rebekah and chewed the inside of her lip.

Damon repeated his question. "Can I give you a ride home?" he asked. "Now? Sure!" she smiled, tripping over her own feet in her hurry to stand. He caught her, and she apologised, blaming her clumsiness on a rock. _What if he wanted to kiss her? Seriously, she wasn't prepared for this!_ Panic set in, and she gripped Damon's hand, blurting the first thing that came to mind. "I need to pee!" she squeaked. His jacket slipped from her shoulders. He righted it, and the intensity of his gaze gave her butterflies. "Okay, I've got to make sure Jesse has a ride home, anyway. So, uh, meet you at the car?" he suggested.

Caroline agreed, watching him leave and sprinted towards the toilets hissing into her boob-cam for help. Minutes later, she collapsed into Camaro, trying to stay calm. "Hey!" Elena's head pop up from the driver's window. "This is really good, it means he's into you," she said. Caroline gaped. "Will he make a move?" she asked. Elena waved her hand. "If anything it will just be a kiss, he keeps it PG13 on the first night," she checked their surroundings. "Are you a good kisser?" she asked. Caroline shrugged. "I don't know, how do you know?" Elena made a face. "Do guys tell you, you're a good kisser?" she asked. Realization dawned on Caroline. "I'm a bad kisser!" she panicked, her breathing becoming irregular.

Elena climbed into Damon's car. "All we need is one kiss, and you leave him wanting more, nothing to panic about, okay?" Caroline gripped the car door. "I'll show you," Elena grabbed Caroline's head. "You grab onto that gorgeous head of hair, and keep control, get his gaze," she instructed. "Your lips might just touch, but not yet, it's just got to be the temptation," she whispered. Caroline inhaled Elena's strawberry lip gloss. "And then you give him one light kiss," Elena smiled, leaning in.

Caroline's heart leapt into the air when Elena kissed her. It was a pleasant sensation, delicate mostly. Elena pulled away, leaving Caroline breathless. A loud bang on the Camaro's hood scared the bejeezers out of them both. It was a drunk Liam, begging them to kiss again. "Get lost!" Elena blinded him with the headlights and behind him, shielding his eyes in confusion, Damon Salvatore hurried up the slope towards them.

Shit!" Caroline shoved Elena out of the driver's seat and amongst Damon's possessions in the backseat. "Hide!" she hissed, trying to compose herself. Damon pulled the door shut, noticing her irregular breathing. "Nothing's wrong, sometimes I like to breathe loudly," she said, as Damon reversed out of the car park. She saw Lexi and Bonnie chasing after them panic stricken, and clenched her hands together in her lap, hoping Damon wouldn't notice Elena in the back seat.

"So what kind of music you into?" Damon asked. "Good music," she shrugged, noticing Elena hiding beneath Damon's tracksuit. "I think I might have some of that," he grinned, poking around behind his chair. Elena nudged a bunch of CDS towards his hand while Caroline held her breath. "Got it!"

"You like, Simple Minds?" Caroline dropped her pretence as her favourite song started to play. "If you don't, I'm kicking you out of the car right now," Damon grinned. She smiled, surprised. "No, I love him," she said, flinching when Elena smacked her in the arm. "I mean, whatever," she corrected herself. Confused, Damon tried a different tactic. "So what are some of your other secrets?" he prompted. Caroline looked at him. "Well, if I told you, I'd have to kill you," she smiled. Damon parked his car outside her house.

"I'm glad we did this, I had a great time," he said as Caroline undid her seatbelt, thankful to be home. "Me too," she said, glancing at an irate Elena, whose hand signals indicated she should prolong their date. "Um...walk me to my door!" Caroline blurted. Surprised at first, Damon then hurried to meet her, draping his arm around her, it didn't even feel strange anymore. Before they'd reached the porch however, he hesitated. She was distracted by Elena climbing through his car window.

"Caroline, I could walk you to your door, but then I'd be too tempted to kiss you," he explained, placing his hands either side of her. He blushed. "And I really like you, and I don't want to risk anything by moving too fast, so, rather than torture myself, I'm just going to say goodnight." Damon started to turn away, and she acted, pulling him back, so they both bumped heads. "I think you bobbed when I weaved," she giggled, rubbing her forehead.

 _Nice going, Caroline, now he really thinks you're a lunatic,_ she thought. Damon blinked, confused, then patted her arm. "Goodnight," he repeated. Elena peered over the hood of Damon's car, again with the silent hand signals. In a panic, Caroline grabbed his face. "I always like a little risk..." she whispered, kissing him. She saw Elena, Bonnie and Lexi sprinting down the street, and loosened her grip, surprised to see Damon's bewildered expression, then a small smile escaped him. She returned his smile, dropping her hands, until the sprinklers turned on.

"Quick, the porch!" she pulled Damon up her front steps, flicking the water from her sleeves. He grinned, shaking the water from his hair, and she laughed. His grin faded a little, and she bit her lip. He cupped her cheek and suddenly his mouth met hers for their second kiss. She felt like her heart had sprouted little wings, pulling her closer towards him, then a spark of electricity tore them apart - her boob-cam had malfunctioned.

"Woah," Damon pressed his fingers to his tingling lips, awed. She muttered hurried apologies, twitching with each uncontrollable zap. "Caroline?" he reached for her, worried. She held up her hands. "I don't want to risk anything by going too fast either," she said, slamming her front door. Caroline threw off her wet clothes, and removed the wire altogether.

Liz entered, carrying an empty bowl of spaghetti. "What happened?" she asked, still dressed in her Sheriff's uniform. Caroline grabbed a towel from the laundry basket. "Just the sprinkles, nothing huge," she shrugged, drying her face and arms. "Hope it didn't ruin your date," Liz smiled, washing her plate in the sink. "It wasn't a real date, mum," Caroline explained. Liz faced her, confused. Caroline waited for the lecture. "Listen, I don't think this is such a good idea, pretending to like a guy, I don't want my baby girl to get hurt, that's all," Liz began. Caroline pursed her lips. "I'm not going to get hurt, he is," she said, throwing the towel back into the basket. Liz frowned. "My advice, don't do this, Caroline, you're better than this."

Caroline gripped the kitchen bench. "Mum, there's a lot of things I come to you for advice about, but this is not one of them. I'm sorry, but how many Damon Salvatore's have run out on you?" Liz frowned. "That's not fair, I've dated a few nice guys recently..." Liz said. Caroline snorted, counting on her fingers. "Oh yeah, the drummer, the musician, that guy from the Coin Laundry..? You've hit the trifecta!" Liz stared at her daughter. "When did you get like this? A month ago you wouldn't like you right now," she said. Caroline sighed, "A month ago, nobody liked me," she muttered. Liz shook her head, contradicting her. "I did. Just be careful who you pretend to be, I would hate if you forgot who you really were." Her mother put on the kettle. Caroline shook her head, annoyed. "I was nobody before, so there's really no risk in losing anything," she said, storming into her room.

* * *

Caroline wore a slimline black dress with a pink shawl, Damon said she should dress up fancy for their second date - the venue he kept a surprise. They walked inside the Grill and Caroline noticed Table 6 was in use, filled with their teachers, Alaric and Josette. Confused, she pulled Damon back. "We're not eating here?" she questioned. Damon shook his head. "Nah, I thought I'd take you out on a real date. Hurry up, slow coach," he grinned.

They ended up on the pier behind The Grill, and she frowned, watching stray cats dig around in the dust bins for leftovers. "Where are we going?" she asked, confused by the dark stretch of water in front of them. "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you!" Damon grinned, using her line against her. She tried to aim her boob cam towards the water, maybe Lexi, Bonnie and Elena would get the hint? Damon stopped running. "There's our table!" he said, pointing their entwined hands to a yacht strung with fairy lights. "Seriously?" she breathed. "Is that for me?" she asked in awe.

Damon seemed pleased to have made a good impression. She gripped his hand, stepping onto the yacht and listening to the water lapping against its hull. _She didn't know Damon could sail_ , she thought, impressed when he motored the yacht from its moorings. She hadn't realized how peaceful it could be out on the water, especially at night. "So when do you cue the dolphins?" she teased, after Damon dropped anchor. "Don't get me wrong, this is amazing, but are you really that scared just to chill out and be yourself?"

It was the first time, she was truly alone with Damon Salvatore, and yet she wasn't nervous. His fingers touched hers as he passed her a glass of champagne. She smiled, noticing his hands shaking. "You know, you've really challenged me, Caroline Forbes. It is terrifying trying to impress you," he said. She raised her eyebrows. "You come out of nowhere and you have high school dialled, and yeah, I might be the Varsity Basketball captain, but that's all I am. You just make everything look so easy, and yeah, maybe sometimes I come on too strong, but I don't know who else to be. I just put my whole heart into things," he sighed.

Caroline sipped her champagne. "Sounds like the easiest way to get it broken," she murmured. Damon put down his glass, his confidence coming through. "Well, luckily, I figured out a way to protect myself against that," he said, requesting her hand. Caroline clasped it, laughing when he pulled her from her seat. "Some kick ass dance moves!" he grinned, tipping her backwards. She giggled. "Oh my gosh! I wasn't ready for that!" she said, as he brought her closer to his chest. She clung to him, resting her chin against his shoulder. "Laugh all you want, I was thinking of going pro!" She snorted against his ear but Damon didn't seem deterred, placing his hand against her lower back. "You're extraordinary," he murmured, rotating on the spot. Her heart fluttered and she blushed at his compliment, listening to him humming along to _Don't You forget About Me_ , by Simple Minds.

She closed her eyes. Was she really slow dancing with Damon Salvatore, on a yacht, with champagne? Bonnie, Lexi and Elena would kill her, she thought.

* * *

"Must be out of range!" Lexi tapped her phone screen. "No effing way," Elena grabbed Lexi's arm. "A boat! Have you been on a boat? I've never been on the boat!" she pointed to the yacht on the water. Bonnie's jaw dropped. "Come on girls, we have to get closer if we want to stalk their date!" Lexi said, undoing a rope tied to a little dingy with a motor. Five minutes later she sat hunched over her phone whilst Elena and Bonnie argued over who should steer. "At this rate it's going to be morning before we get there. Can't you hurry it up?" Lexi frowned.

"I can't this motor sucks!" Elena yelled, frustrated. Bonnie pushed her out of the way. "I could paddle faster than this!" she yelled. "Bonnie, don't! You're going to make things worse!" Elena cried, as Bonnie bashed the motor with the end of a fishing rod. Two minutes later, it detached itself, singing to the ocean floor. "Nice going, and now there's no cell service," Lexi frowned. Elena and Bonnie stared at her, before their predicament sunk in. "Are you telling me, we're stuck here?" they hissed. Lexi looked around the bottom of the boat for some oars. "It seems so, unless you two want to swim?" she suggested.

Lexi made out somebody watching them from the pier, and waved her hands. "Who's that?" Bonnie wondered. Elena leaned over the boat, using her hands as paddles. "You look ridiculous," Bonnie said, watching Lexi join her. She looked over at Damon's yacht, trying to see what was happening - but all she saw were two blobs in the night. "Bonnie, help us!" Elena puffed, leaving Bonnie no other choice.

* * *

Caroline stood in the Film Studies' classroom, getting interrogated by Bonnie, Lexi and Elena. Her date with Damon Salvatore had been the perfect night, more than perfect, she thought. "You guys dated him," she shrugged. "You know what he's like," she said, checking how much time she had before she had to get to class. Bonnie exchanged a surprised look with Elena. "Not on the high seas!" Elena hissed. "What the hell happened?" Bonnie demanded. Caroline shrugged. "Nothing we just talked," she said. Elena seemed surprised. "You mean, he was able to get intimate, without being intimate?" she asked. Lexi sighed, "Damon is telling her anything she wants to hear."

Caroline smiled to herself, having seen a whole new side to Damon, on that yacht. Elena cried out. "Oh no, I know that look! He's got you under his spell," she grabbed Caroline's hand. "Caroline, we all believed him, but there's no way in knowing what this guy is really thinking!" Caroline shook herself free of Elena, frowning. Lexi grinned. "Yes, there is," she said, holding up her phone. "I can get proof!"

That's how Lexi found herself inside the boys' locker room. She had been on the outskirts, interviewing the players, but inside smelt really bad, of sweat and farts.

Jesse, Aaron and Damon had just come out of the showers from practice. "You coming bowling with us tonight?" Aaron asked. "Nah, I'm hanging out with Caroline," Damon replied, opening his locker. "Again, man, you are so whipped!" Aaron sighed. Damon pulled his t-shirt out of his kit. "I'm not whipped," he muttered while Lexi recorded them. "Please tell me you tapped that by now?" Jesse shook Damon's neck, disappointed. "Great things take time, like a good bottle of bourbon," Damon explained. "Let's just say, tonight at the away game, Damon Salvatore is going to be scoring more than baskets!" he said, pulling on his pants, and flicking Aaron in the back with his wet towel.

"Gotcha," Lexi whispered.

* * *

Caroline had packed her bags, saying goodbye to her mother, despite their recent fight, and opened the door to see Mason Lockwood on the other side. "Hey kiddo!" he grinned. Liz hurried from her room, one shoe on whilst frantically searching for the other. Caroline slammed the door in Mason's face, confronting her mum. "You're not seriously going out with Skip tonight?" she demanded. Liz sighed, "Don't call him that! We're just going out..." she said, locating her shoe in the back of the couch. Caroline ran her fingers through her hair, desperate. "Mum, please don't do this! He's probably in town for a layover, and he's looking for someone to layover!" she shouted.

Liz made a face. "Very clever! Can we please not do this now? Who I date is none of your business!" Caroline gaped at her. "Are you serious? No wonder I have relationship issues, can you imagine growing up with a mum who only dates jerks!" she yelled, opening the door. Mason stepped back in surprise. "Don't forget to lock the door when you sneak out!" Caroline yelled, hurrying from her porch to get into Bonnie's car. "Everything okay?" Elena asked, as Caroline fumed in the front seat. "Lexi, show her," Bonnie said as Lexi dropped her phone into Caroline's lap. "This is what happens when you let your guard down around Damon Salvatore," she said.

Caroline watched the video, listening to what Damon had said about her. The gentleman from the boat gone, leaving her with a sick feeling in her stomach. "Oh, Damon Salvatore, you are going down!" she said, hurt. Elena clapped her hands in excitement. "And we're going to help you," Lexi said. "Because that's what friends do," Bonnie patted Caroline's knee. Caroline smiled, ducking her head when Elena's arm flew out of nowhere to turn up the radio. "The hotel better use environmentally friendly soap this year, because last year's gave me a rash!" she complained. Bonnie, Lexi and Caroline snorted into the hands. "What?" Elena asked, falling back into her seat.

 **A/N: Sorry this took forever! Hope you liked the additional changes to the plot. Stay tuned for the mischief at the away game occurring next chapter. What did you think of Carolena & Daroline's first kisses? Who do you think was watching Lexi from the pier? Do you think Rebekah is right about Stefan? Lots of surprises coming your way! Let me know your thoughts. x**


	4. The Away Game

**Disclaimer: Not mine as much as I wish. A/N: Thanks for your reviews! Yes! There will be more SC & yes, Damon can be a jerk, but he tries to be the better man for Caroline. I didn't much like where they left John at the end of the movie, so I'm experimenting with a new idea, one I hope you'll embrace. R&R x**

 **The Away Game**

 **4.**

When they arrived to the hotel about 7pm, Lexi ordered room service; spaghetti for three, and a vegan burger for Elena. "Listen, the plan is to see how far you can push Damon," Elena explained, wiping chilli sauce from her cheek. Caroline sat on the corner of her bed, listening to their advice. "He likes you, but is he willing to climb the terrace for you?" Lexi said, stabbing a meat ball with her fork. "Here's what you'll be wearing when you Skype Damon tonight," Bonnie dropped a gift bag into Caroline's lap. "This?" Caroline squeaked, staring at the intricate lingerie between her fingers.

"I hope it fits," Lexi muttered, distracted by her social calendar. Caroline sighed, staring at the gift, and wondering if she could pluck up enough courage to wear them. "Go on, let's see what they look like on," Elena nudged Caroline off the bed. Reluctantly, Caroline entered the bathroom, staring at her uncertain expression in the mirror. After a few deep breaths to steady her nerves, Caroline emerged, flashing her lingerie with a nervous smile. "Do I look okay?" she asked, despite the perfect fit. Elena clapped her hands, "I knew red was your colour!" she grinned.

"You look great, Caroline," Bonnie agreed, lowering her empty bowl. Lexi nodded her approval, setting up her Skype. "Damon Salvatore is in for a surprise tonight," she smiled. Caroline's mind wandered while she waited for the call to connect. Elena had been right, she had fallen for Damon Salvatore, just like every other girl at Mystic Falls. He was popular; captain of the Basketball team; and hot. But it wasn't this side she had fallen for - it was the side he kept hidden.

She had spent moments in his company, which altered her opinion of him - his smile when he'd called her 'Blondie'; the awe in his eyes right before he kissed her; and the way he held her when they danced. But she had been blind to his true intentions. Falling in love with Damon Salvatore only caused you pain. She had seen the light, and realized her mistake. Her experiences with him weren't any different to Bonnie, Elena or Lexi's - he was a womanizer.

Damon's charm, his personality, his insecurities sucked her in, and she had become just as naive as everybody else. _What happened to her thinking he was a jerk?_ she thought. As the call connected, Caroline remembered how Damon had compared her to an aging bottle of bourbon to all his friends.

"Hey Caroline," he grinned, tousling his wet hair with a towel. "Hi Damon," she smiled, reciting Bonnie, Elena and Lexi's writing prompts on the whiteboard. "I'm so lovely," she sighed, misreading the message. He furrowed his brow, and Lexi prodded the board. "LONELY, I'm so lonely," Caroline blurted. "Well, maybe I should come over there, keep you company?" he grinned. She fiddled with her necklace. "Josette's on the prowl, anyone leaving their rooms after 8.30pm gets detention," she said. Damon slumped in his chair. "But you could climb in through the window? I'm three rooms over," she suggested.

Damon hesitated, combing his hand through his hair. "Caroline," he sighed. "I'd love to, but-" She lowered her robe. "Well, that's too bad, I got all dressed up... or down," she shrugged, tracing her collar bone with her fingers. "Fine," Damon said, pushing back his chair. "Hold on, I got you a present?" Caroline announced, staring at the gift on the board. "It's under your bed. I want _you_ to wear them," she grinned. Surprised, Damon raised the red g-string to his nose and swallowed. Bonnie, Elena and Lexi snorted into their hands. "What's wrong? It's sexy, haven't you ever done this before?" Caroline frowned, keeping her face straight. "No," Damon admitted, unnerved. Caroline shook her head, disappointed. "Damon, Damon, I thought you would do this one little thing for me, and then I might do a little thing for you," she said, dropping her robe around her waist.

His jaw slackened, and his eyebrows disappeared beneath his fringe. Empowered by his reaction, Caroline continued. "And then we can do a little something together," she nibbled her thumbnail, teasing him with a shy smile. Damon stared back. "But," she yawned, "It's getting late, and I'm so tired, so I'll just see you tomorrow," she moved to end the call, pausing when he found his voice. "No, wait, I'll do it!" he hissed. "Great, see you soon!" she chirped, signing off and joining in on her friends' laughter.

"I wish we could see Damon's face when Josette catches him," Lexi smirked. "Do you think we could get detention for this?" Caroline wondered, finishing her cold spaghetti. "We could get _expelled_ for this," Bonnie said, pulling on her Minnie Mouse pajamas. Elena fidgeted beside Lexi, slipping her legs beneath the covers. "This is miniscule compared to everything he did to us," she said, readjusting her pillow. Caroline climbed from the bed, cleaning up their bowls.

Seconds later, a high-pitched scream and a thump sent Lexi trampling over Elena to reach the door before Caroline. "Must you!" Elena yelled, throwing her pillow after her. Caroline, Bonnie and Lexi loitered outside their room to witness Josette marching an apologetic Damon towards Alaric's room. Damon's shaking hands failed to conceal the g-string he'd worn to impress Caroline. Lexi raised her camera phone, and Caroline listened to the students nearby swapping theories.

"What's going on?" Alaric frowned, propping his newspaper beneath his arm. Bonnie nudged Caroline, pointing at Alaric's furry slippers. The laughter rang in Caroline's ears. "I believe this belongs to you!" Josette said, releasing Damon. "Do be sure to keep track of your belongings in future!" she hissed, leaving Alaric to deal with Damon. "What the hell were you thinking? _You're humiliated?_ You better pray Jo doesn't report you to the Principal, or you can kiss your scholarship goodbye!" he yelled, shoving Damon down the hall where Jesse and Aaron stood, speechless.

Damon's face reddened in embarrassment, avoiding their gazes. "And enough with the cameras!" Alaric frowned. Everyone groaned, dropping their phones. "Oh, and it's past curfew, all of you nosey-parkers still here, I want five laps around the oval at 5am tomorrow!" Damon snatched a towel Jesse held out for him, his humiliated frown met Caroline's eyes. "Guess it was four instead of three, sorry," she grimaced, faking an apologetic expression.

Lexi pulled Caroline inside and Bonnie closed the door. They found Elena sleeping diagonally across their bed. "Great, where are we going to sleep now?" Bonnie pouted. "I can't sleep, I'm still on a high," Lexi laughed, collapsing over the arm of the couch. "Everyone's going to be talking about this for weeks," she chuckled. Caroline's triumph faded, replaced by a voice, much like her mother's, warning her she was as bad as Damon Salvatore. Caroline pulled a board game from her suitcase. "Monopoly?" she suggested, needing to feel like her old self again.

* * *

During basketball practice the following morning, Caroline, Lexi and Bonnie complained about their aching legs on the court. The five laps around the oval had been hell - rising at 5am with their sleep deprived classmates; jogging until their legs turned to jelly - through the pelting rain, the mud and their better judgement. "I'm going to kill Alaric," Elena hissed, patting the gym floor until she found Caroline's arm beside her. "I wasn't even awake when everything went down last night," she grumbled. Lexi raised her head from the floor. "Why was that? It's very uncharacteristic of you?" she teased. Bonnie propped herself up on her elbows. "Yeah, are you dating someone and forgot to tell us?" she accused. Caroline pulled Elena into a sitting position. "No, I was just exhausted, I don't know why," Elena sighed. Something clicked in Caroline's mind, something personal. "Elena, when you slept with Damon, did you, use protection?" she whispered, watching the other cheerleaders mingling with the boys on the other side of the gym.

Elena released Caroline's hand. "Yeah, and I know where you're going with this, I'm not pregnant," she said. They exchanged worried looks. "I promise. I'm probably low on magnesium or iron," and she helped them all to their feet. "Ok, but we'd feel better if you saw a doctor, even if you're not pregnant, it might be beneficial," Lexi pressed. "I'll ask Josette if we can leave practice early," she said, catching sight of their teacher. "I'm sure it's nothing," Elena repeated, giving Bonnie and Caroline a reassuring smile.

* * *

Caroline and Bonnie practiced their routine twice from the start before Damon entered the gym. He wore a navy hoodie, and a frown. "Is he trying to be incognito? Because his name is on the back of his jumper," Caroline muttered. Bonnie shrugged, watching Aaron greet Damon. "Are you seriously wearing that g-string again?" Damon shrugged off Aaron's arm, dropping his kit to the floor. "What's he doing?" Bonnie hissed. "I think he's trying to prove a point," Caroline replied. The entire gym fell silent, watching him.

Damon cleared his throat. "It's like letting your best friend sleep in a silk hammock. They don't bind, and they give you just enough swing!" he dribbled the ball across the court, slamming it into the hoop. "See? We need all the luck we can muster to beat Whitmore this year," and he threw the ball into Aaron's arms. "Last night was a trial to see how they fared in dramatic situations," Damon pointed to a plastic bag. "So, if you want to win tonight, help yourself," he said. "That is, if you're brave enough," he grinned, removing his shirt.

Caroline and Bonnie gaped as Damon's teammates fought over the coloured g-strings. _They had seriously underestimated Damon Salvatore._ His talent only made everyone want to be him, and by the time the Whitmore game arrived, Damon had earned his teammates' respect, and Alaric's. "Unbelievable! They're everywhere!" Elena complained on Lexi's arm. Hearing Elena's disgust from across the gym, Caroline and Bonnie ran over to hear her diagnosis.

"Everything okay?" they asked in unison. Elena nodded. "Everything's fine," she reassured them. Lexi gave her an odd look, then pointed to the bleachers. "We'll be over there. Where's Damon?" she asked. Caroline caught sight of Damon stretching, she hadn't talked to him since their Skype date. She remained distant on purpose, annoyed by his Jekyll & Hyde personality. Simply put, she was sick of being jerked about. "Well, you've got to smooth things over with him, we need him to invite you to his birthday party," Lexi said. "Fine," Caroline sighed. "I'll talk to him after the game," she said.

Bonnie stretched on the side of the court, as Caroline soaked in the atmosphere - the intense rivalry between Mystic Falls and Whitmore and their coaches; she had never seen Bonnie more determined; and noticed, much to her surprise, Matt, Stefan and Rebekah sitting some distance away from Lexi, Elena and Josette. Caroline thought she saw Rebekah place her hand on Stefan's knee, like she knew Caroline was watching. "Stop being paranoid," she hissed, trying to focus on the game.

"Who's that?" Caroline whispered to Bonnie, impressed by the Whitmore player who had slam dunked the ball into the hoop. Bonnie sighed. "Kol Mikaelson, Rebekah's reckless brother. He's conceited, selfish and childish," she listed, glaring at Kol. "Why do I get the feeling you've had first-hand experience?" Caroline asked, as Bonnie went to get something from the drinks' table - thankfully, without any Estrogen. "Because she has," Rebekah startled them. Bonnie glared at her.

Rebekah continued for Caroline's benefit. "Bonnie used to date Kol, before she dumped him for Damon Salvatore." Caroline blinked, processing this information. She saw Stefan nearby. "Stefan?" she queried. He acknowledged her with a nod. Rebekah turned back to Bonnie. "Kol has similar memories of you too - judgmental, petty and tedious," she listed with a smirk. "Get out of my face, Rebekah!" Bonnie shoved Rebekah in the chest, sending her onto the court.

"Is that the best you can do?" Rebekah taunted. Stefan and Caroline rushed to separate them, but each were out for blood. Their threats distracted Damon and Kol from the game. Rebekah pulled Bonnie's hair. "You came with Rebekah?" Caroline rounded on Stefan. "Yeah, we're friends," he frowned, unfazed by her jealousy. "Are you on a date?" she hissed, avoiding Bonnie's flailing arms. "What's it to you?" he frowned. She paused. "As your _friend_ , I don't want to see you get hurt," she said, grabbing one of Bonnie's arms.

Stefan helped Rebekah stand. Bonnie slapped Rebekah. "What the hell, Bonnie?" Damon yelled, coming to Caroline's rescue. "Unfinished business," Bonnie and Rebekah spat, each supporting their wounds. Kol, who had watched their fight with an amused expression, finally spoke: "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were still hung up on me, Bonnie Bennett?" he grinned. Bonnie glared at him. "Ignore Rebekah, she's a little protective of me. I don't hold any resentment against you, Bonnie," Kol said, then he looked at Damon.

"No, I hold you responsible for stealing my girlfriend, I just prefer to beat you in the game rather than outside of it," he grinned. Damon narrowed his eyes. "Bonnie left on her own accord, not because I forced her to," he said. "And as her _friend_ , let me warn you, and Rebekah... if you touch another hair on her head, you'll have me to deal with," he said. Impressed by the way Damon handled matters, Caroline gave him an appreciative smile, before dragging Bonnie back to the sidelines. "Um, what in the hell was that?" she hissed, gripping her friend's wrist.

"I don't want to talk about it," Bonnie grimaced. Caroline caught sight of Elena and Lexi wanting answers, and shook her head. She had none. Caroline saw Stefan holding an icebag to Rebekah's bleeding lip, and averted her gaze before she felt sick. It bothered her that Stefan had been so defensive about Rebekah, when Rebekah's true colours revealed she was a bitch. Caroline bit the rim of her water cup, extra nervous about the game, and Damon's safety. Trying to put Stefan out of her mind, she put everything into her cheerleading for Bonnie, taking it upon herself to support Damon and his team mates.

With only five points between the two schools, and Aaron out with a broken arm, Damon caught up to Caroline. "Hey, the other night didn't go as I planned," he began, checking on the umpire, and sipping on the bottle she gave him. "Yeah, I know, I'm sorry," she said, distracted by Bonnie's disappearance. "It's okay, I spun it, and so far these g-strings have been our lucky charms," he grinned. Caroline couldn't see Bonnie or Kol, anywhere. " Yeah I noticed, now everyone knows Victoria's Secret," she said, thinking they might be in the change rooms.

"Caroline, wait," Damon grabbed her arm. "You don't get it. I was humiliated trying to get your attention. I'm not working this hard just to get some action..." he ignored the whistle to resume the game. "So I'm not just some bourbon you want to uncork and pork?" she frowned. He let go of her arm. "Where did you hear that?" he asked. "No, that's just locker talk, that doesn't mean anything!"

He seemed desperate to get his point across, even if that meant losing the game. Caroline watched his team mates shouting at him to get back in the game. "You act like a pig, so you don't sound whipped?" she asked, incredulous. Damon sighed, running a nervous hand through his hair. "Yes exactly, look I'm saying things I don't believe and doing things I don't understand. I scaled a building for you, and I'm trying so hard, but I'm out of place," he looked at the drinks' table, and picked up his watch.

She stared at him, glancing at Lexi and Elena, who seemed just as surprised. "Caroline, you're the one! Look, I've never done this before, and I don't know how it goes, but it's just something personal." He slipped his watch onto her wrist, and raised her hand air. "I'm showing you, and whoever else wants to know that I'm whipped! Will you be my girlfriend?" he asked in front of the silent crowd.

"Damon, the game?" she whispered. He grinned, looking up at the scoreboard. "I don't care about the game, I don't care if we win or lose, I care about you," and he rested his forehead against hers.

* * *

Back at their hotel room, Caroline packed her suitcase, thinking over everything that had happened. Her heart thumped in her chest, and every few seconds she gazed at his watch, wondering if she had made the right decision. The door opened, and Bonnie entered. "Are you okay?" Caroline asked, ignoring the elephant in the room. Bonnie glanced at Damon's gift. "Are you?" she shot back.

Caroline sighed, "I can't do this anymore, Bonnie, it's not right," she admitted. Right on cue, Elena and Lexi arrived, putting everything together. "Dating intervention," Lexi steered Caroline to sit on her bed. "Reality check, you're not dating Damon," she said. Elena nodded. "You were no-one, and then you became the one," she said. Caroline wrung her hands together. "And then what, I become a legend?" she rolled her eyes. "What if I don't want that anymore?" she said.

"Well, you can't have him!" Bonnie relapsed, attempting to steal the watch from Caroline's wrist. Elena pushed Bonnie backwards. "You think because you're the head cheerleader, you can get whatever you want?" she asked. "This should be mine! I've done all the work in this relationship," Lexi said, intervening. "Stop it we're supposed to be friends!" Caroline yelled, checking on Elena. "You're either obsessed with destroying Damon or obsessed with dating him, either way it's all about him! I'm done!" She wheeled her suitcase towards the door.

"If you're not against Damon, then you're not with us," Lexi retorted in a desperate move. "I guess we're not friends then," and Caroline crossed the threshold. "You're fired!" Elena yelled, grabbing her stomach. Lexi rushed to her. "Are you okay?" Sweat mingled on Elena's forehead, and she gripped Lexi's hand. "Ah, what's going on?" Bonnie asked. Elena sat on their bed, answering Lexi's pressing look. "I'm seventeen; I'm pregnant; and Damon Salvatore's the father..." Bonnie gasped. "I'm going to raise it by myself. I don't want Damon to know," Elena explained. Bonnie and Lexi nodded.

"What are we going to do about Caroline?" Bonnie asked. "I've got an idea," Lexi said. "And a whole lot of footage to edit," she grinned.

* * *

Caroline leant against Damon's Camaro, waiting for him to take her home. Her falling out with her friends, hurt, but she knew it was one of the first steps she needed to do to find her old self. She watched the clouds shift and change on the wind, hearing the other students boarding the yellow buses back to Mystic Falls. She wished it could just be simple, like a retro pop song, 'I Want you to Want me', and then boom, they all live happily ever after. _But it's not really like that is it?_

"That's a nice watch," Stefan startled her - he was alone, no Rebekah, she noticed. She tried to compose herself, blinking back tears. "It's not what you think," she tried to explain. Stefan dug his hands into his jacket pocket. "Something clicked at the game tonight," he said. "Since when are Lexi and Elena friends with Bonnie? Those girls absolutely hate each other, Caroline, and what are they doing talking to you?" he scrutinised her. Caroline couldn't find the words. "What happened to you? You used to be different!" he said. "And then you fell for my brother..." he scoffed, shaking his head.

Caroline took a step forward. "No, I didn't, it's not like that. I didn't..." she pleaded for him to listen. He seemed disappointed. "It's something you cooked up with those three, isn't it? It's just a joke to you!" She heard the anger rise in his voice, and hung her head, ashamed. He licked the bottom of his lip, thinking. "You want to know why Damon fell for you? He thinks this is the first real honest relationship that he's been in," Stefan sighed. Caroline furrowed her brow. "Oh, well, he's not that innocent, you know what he's like!" she yelled.

Stefan threw his arms into the air, exasperated. "Everyone knows what he's like, he's Damon Salvatore! And still, every girl in school lines up to date him, even though he lies to them...I can't imagine the kind of person who would do that, can you?" Stefan left her with a lump in her throat, and an overwhelming sense of guilt. A few minutes later, Damon Salvatore crossed the asphalt with Jesse and Aaron in tow, joking and laughing. "Ready to go?" Damon asked, giving her a questioning look when she wiped her tear-stained face with her sleeves. She nodded, letting him take her suitcase.

Aaron and Jesse took the back seats, whilst Damon cupped her face in his hands. "What's wrong?" he asked. Her lips trembled. "Everything," she whispered, gripping the folds of his leather jacket. He wrapped his arms around her. "Is that better?" he asked, kissing her head, and giving her a squeeze. Her muffled response made him laugh. "Good, because I hate to see you upset," he said, caressing her chin and placing dainty kisses along her nose and cheeks. "Let's get you home," he grinned, taking her hand.

 **A/N: *Whale noises* I'm now an emotional mess. Are you crying into your pillows or raiding the garden shed for pitchforks? More surprises to come. Reviews welcome. x**


	5. The Truth Will Out

**Disclaimer: Not mine as much as I wish, rights belong to their owners. A/N: Do you ever have those chapters that just won't end? Yeah, this was one of them. Songs: David Guetta ft. Kid Cudi Memories & Simple Minds, Don't You (Forget About Me). R&R Edited 28/12/15 **

**The Truth Will Out**

 **5.**

"See you tomorrow night," Damon murmured, releasing Caroline's hand, and kissing her temple. She leaned against his chest, grateful for his support and the ride home. The Camaro pulled away from the curb, and Liz muttered in a frosty tone, "He's got balls, knocking on the Sheriff's door..." before heading into the kitchen.

Caroline closed the door. "He wanted to make a good impression," she said, defending Damon's choice to meet Liz, and dumped her bag on the ground, staring at the cake on the kitchen counter. She saw the emptied laundry basket; all the clothes folded in neat piles on the couch.

Caroline faced her mum, expecting an explanation.

"He definitely made an impression," Liz said, picking up the vacuum. "It's amazing how cleaning the house can put everything into perspective," she said, putting the vacuum in the cupboard. "I sent 'Skip' home," Liz said. "I know my relationship stuff affects you. I've made mistakes, but I'd never plan to hurt someone?" she frowned, pointing to where Damon had been minutes before.

Caroline picked at her fingernails. "I know, I told Elena, Lexi and Bonnie I didn't want to pretend anymore," she sat down by the counter. "We had a fight, then Damon drove me home," she explained.

For most of the car ride, Caroline had listened to Aaron's complaints about his broken arm, whilst Jesse threatened to break his other arm if he didn't stop whining. "I guess, I was invisible for so long, it felt good to be noticed," she thought aloud.

Liz frowned, pouring some tea and cutting the cake. "Sweetheart, you chose to be invisible. You thought it would be easier that way," she reminded her daughter.

Caroline groaned, dropping her head into her hands. "I just wanted to be popular, but this isn't me, and now I don't even know who my real friends are!" The sound of her mug scraping against the counter made Caroline raise her tear-stained face.

"Well, maybe, if you showed them the real you, you'd find out," Liz suggested. Caroline wiped her cheeks on her sleeves, and sniffed. "Maybe I'll tell him at his birthday," she said, picking at the cake with her fingers.

* * *

Almost everyone from their year had been invited to the Salvatore Boarding House for Damon's birthday. Some had even volunteered their time to serve platters from _The Grill_ , courtesy of Alaric Saltzman. Caroline supposed many would jump at an opportunity to hang with Damon Salvatore on their Sunday night, especially after their victorious Away Game.

She walked through the semi-lit halls, _David Guetta's_ music pounded her ears, and fairy lights hung from the 19th century staircase.

 _I just wanna let it go for tonight_

 _that would be the best therapy for me_

 _all the crazy shit I did tonight_

 _those would be the best memories_

The lounge room was packed with teens drinking, and dancing, some on the outer edges getting cosy on black leather lounges pushed against the walls. Caroline manoeuvred her way through the sweaty crowd of bodies, surprised when many knew her name. Jesse and Aaron acknowledged her with their raised their drinks near the fireplace, and she mouthed 'where's Damon?'

Aaron cradled his broken arm in a sling, and had to turn his entire body around to look. Jesse shrugged in an unhelpful manner.

"Where are you?" Caroline frowned, scanning the room. Someone caught Caroline's eye, but it wasn't Damon.

Elena Gilbert swung her hips to the music, tossing her hair about like a free spirit. Caroline stood mesmerised by Elena's hands raised to the heavens, deep in her own bubble. "Well, at least someone's having a good time," she smiled, scanning the room once more.

Somebody shoved passed Caroline, sending her stumbling face-first into the carpet. She felt someone lifting her to her feet. "Elena?" she breathed, getting a face full or Elena's straightened hair, and admiring the red streak which she guessed was new.

"Life's too short, Caroline. Promise me you'll make the most of it?" Elena pressed, snatching a red drinking cup from a waiter's tray, before melting back into the crowd.

Of course, Elena _would_ be the life of the party, Caroline thought, rubbing her aching wrists.

 _Maybe a drink wouldn't be a bad thing?_ Caroline did a double-take at the waiter.

"Matt?" she asked, admiring his combed hair, and white collared shirt. Matt frowned, lowering his tray - Elena had taken the last drink. "Save it, Caroline! I'm done covering for you," he said, returning to the kitchen. "Matt, wait!" she hurried after him. "I'm sorry. It's just, there's a lot going on in my life right now-" she confessed.

Destroying Damon Salvatore, studying full-time and participating in her extracurricular activities had meant freeing up her schedule, and therefore, working less.

Matt looked surprised. "You think you're the only one with family dramas?" he snapped, replacing his empty tray with appetisers. "I work hard to pay the bills, and I send what I can to Vicki because our mum abandoned us. I'm hanging on by a thread, Caroline... and right now you're pulling it," he warned.

Caroline's lips thinned out of annoyance. "Fine, I only came in here to get a drink, and to ask if you've seen Damon? I can't find him. Ironic, since this is his house," she sighed. Matt pushed a plastic cup into her hands. "No, I haven't seen Damon, the guy who ruined my sister's life," he picked up his platter, while Caroline folded her arms. "And if it weren't for him paying us a substantial amount to cater, I wouldn't be here either," he said, walking back to the party.

Cheers from the other room alerted Caroline. She ran outside to see Rebekah and Elena dancing on the lounge, the cheers coming from their supporters in the crowd. _What the hell was Elena doing hanging with Rebekah, after everything she did to Bonnie?_ Caroline caught herself admiring the Mikaelson's stilettos, but that was all.

She tore her gaze from Elena, seeing Stefan Salvatore moving away from her. _Had somebody punctured her heart with a needle?_ She could still hear the disappointment in Stefan's voice when he'd confronted her about Damon. She shook the ice in her cup and watched Aaron and Jesse chug down their beers, oblivious their best friend was missing.

Matt walked passed, offering drinks. "Two shots, Matt," Rebekah's voice startled Caroline. _What the hell is Rebekah doing here?_ Caroline glared at the latter. _She doubted Damon gave her an invite._ "Did you miss the memo? It's a party, not a rodeo?" Rebekah smirked at Caroline's casual appearance.

"Bitch!" Caroline yelled, causing Matt to spill some of the shots on his tray.

"What did you call me?" Rebekah hissed, inches from Caroline's face.

"Oh, you heard me! Only a psycho _bitch_ would attack somebody in the middle of a basketball game," Caroline said, crunching on her iceblocks, they tasted like watery rum.

Everyone was staring. "Caroline-" Matt warned her with a pressing look.

Rebekah smiled, unbothered. "You don't fool me, Caroline Forbes, I know what this is _really_ about. You're threatened by my friendship with Stefan. Why don't you just admit it, you're in love with both Salvatore brothers, but instead of choosing one like a _normal_ person, you'd rather string them along. That sounds like a _bitch_ to me," Rebekah drank her first shot, and slammed it onto Matt's tray.

Matt steadied his tray, gritting his teeth. Hushed whispers escaped the crowd, reaching Caroline's ears. She folded her arms, and raised her voice. "Stefan and my _friendship_ , is none of your business, and neither is my relationship with Damon," she snapped. "Stefan is _my friend._ I want him to be happy. He doesn't need someone as crazy as you in his life, okay?" Caroline said, looking Rebekah up and down.

Rebekah laughed. "I'm not crazy, Caroline. But you'll go crazy if you bottle your feelings up. Trust me, it never ends well," the blonde said, raising her second shot above her head and re-joining Elena. Caroline narrowed her eyes, worried for Elena, but distracted by Damon and Stefan's entrance from the garage.

Stefan cleared his throat. "Thanks everyone for coming here tonight to celebrate my big brother's 18th. We hope you're enjoying the food and drinks. Please raise your glasses, and join me in singing Damon, a happy birthday," he smiled, raising his cup.

When they'd finished singing, Caroline joined Damon by the fireplace. Stefan ignored her, turning on the flat-screen, where birthday tributes came pouring in. She realized they were watching Lexi's video journal, and felt sick, thinking of all the lies she'd told Damon, and all the tricks they'd played on him.

"It's you," Damon grinned, hugging Caroline from behind. She watched her naive self repeat Lexi, Bonnie and Elena's prompts, escaping Damon's arms. _"Damon Salvatore, there's only one guy out there for me, and he is not you-"_ She turned off the television, hands shaking in her panic to keep the rest of the video's content from their ears. Complaints and boos were the least of her worries.

She felt like she was five again - nervous as hell, with the weight of the world on her shoulders, only she wasn't spelling the word, 'anonymous,' she was baring her soul.

"Caroline?" Damon ventured, looking for answers. She fiddled with a loose bit of string attached to her t-shirt, listening to the crackling fire.

"This entire time, I've been pretending to be somebody I'm not," she looked into his blue eyes, pleading for him to understand. "We were trying to break your heart so you knew what it felt like," she admitted, looking at Lexi, Bonnie and Elena. Damon looked over his ex-girlfriends' stony-faced expressions, seeing the truth.

Caroline wished she could take it all back, looking at his shocked expression. "Well, you pulled it off, it worked..." he said, running his hand through his hair and avoiding her gaze.

She sighed, slipping his watch from her wrist, feeling the heat from the fireplace against her legs. "I'm sorry, I can't accept this," she placed Damon's watch into his hand, and pulled back when she saw the hurt in his eyes - hating herself for putting it there in the first place.

"Are you guys breaking up?" Aaron yelled from the unsettled crowd.

Caroline nodded, projecting her voice. "This entire time, I've been lying about who I am, and I'm sorry. This is the real me," she shrugged, smiling into the crowd, whether they accepted her or not.

"Hey, Caroline!" Somebody she didn't know threw their drink on her. She gasped, the beer seeping through her t-shirt and bra, whilst the impact of the cup, left a bruise. "We don't care about your sob story!" another shouted.

Damon reacted, pushing Caroline behind him.

She couldn't read Stefan's expression, but attempted a smile, which he didn't return.

"Maybe I deserve this," Caroline said to Damon, stepping out from his protection.

"Caroline?" Damon shook his head, pleading for her to stay.

She took a step forward, focusing on the fairy-lights calling to her from the stairs.

"No, no, no!" Lexi, Bonnie and Elena pushed her back. "You do not deserve this!" Elena said.

"We shouldn't have done this to you," Lexi wiped tissues across Caroline's face.

"We should be throwing drinks at each other, not at her," Bonnie addressed the booing crowd.

Damon intervened. "Look, they're right! We all lie, I pretend to do whatever, to get girls!" he confessed.

The crowd cheered, and Elena and Lexi frowned, unimpressed.

"Here," Bonnie wrapped her TimberWolves' jumper around Caroline's now see-through t-shirt.

Damon shook his head, trying to get his point across. "I'm not saying it's a good thing!" he glanced at his ex's. "What I'm trying to say is, it's wrong! And I'm sorry too," he said, looking at Caroline.

Jesse shouted out, "Nothing wrong with dating the most popular girls in school!" The crowd cheered and Damon sighed. "Can't argue with that," he said, adjusting his leather jacket.

Caroline blushed, spotting the waiters carrying the food from the kitchen; one of them carried a Camaro shaped birthday cake.

She dug her hands into the frosting and threw the sponge cake at Damon's cocky grin.

"Oh, you're going to pay for that!" he yelled, wiping the blue frosting from his eye sockets.

Caroline squealed, turning her back just in time, to receive a glob of cake in the back of her neck.

Lexi and Bonnie threw appetisers at Jesse and Aaron. Elena and Caroline dodged plastic cups, food and people's glow sticks, hiding behind an overturned couch.

"I'm running out of cake!" Lexi yelled, smudging her glasses with frosting.

"What next, Caroline?" Bonnie grinned, waiting for instructions.

All Caroline had wanted was to let loose, so in a way, throwing that first handful of cake had set her free. She understood Elena's mantra now, 'Life was too short' to live in fear of what people thought of you. She peeped around the lounge, spotting Damon, Aaron and Jesse using platters as shields.

"Battle stations," Caroline whispered to those around her.

One by one, Caroline, Elena, Lexi, and Bonnie rose from behind the couch.

Matt and Rebekah waited for her signal from the next overturned lounge, plated up with mini-pavlovas.

"Okay, okay, we give up!" Damon grinned, eyeing the assortment of objects in Team Caroline's hands. "Truce?" he offered his hand.

Caroline nodded, rising on her tip-toes to pull bits of cake from his dark hair. "Truce," she beamed.

* * *

It was almost midnight, and most of the party-goers had left. Caroline dragged her garbage bag along the carpet, scooping up bits of cake with an empty plastic cup.

"I really don't want to go to school tomorrow," Bonnie complained, pushing the vacuum cleaner across the carpet. "I just want to sleep for the rest of the week," she said. Caroline watched Bonnie check her phone for the millionth time. "Kol," Bonnie answered Caroline's questioning look, declining the call. Caroline nodded, changing the subject. "How many bottles of shampoo do you think we'll need to get back to our old selves?" she asked, squashing her bag of rubbish with her foot.

"I don't know, maybe some of us like who we are now?" Bonnie said, vacuuming the couches. Caroline heard pie crumbs being sucked into its pipes. She scrutinised Bonnie. "Did Kol do something at the Away Game? I saw you two leave the court, and you weren't yourself back at the hotel," she deduced. "Minus, all that other stuff," she waved her hand, dismissing their fight two night ago with a smile.

Bonnie sighed. "He told me he missed me, and he wanted to make things work," she said. "I told him I'd think about it," Bonnie paused, re-adjusting the vacuum cord and sighed. "Caroline, there's something you should know. I didn't break up with Kol because of the reasons I listed. I mean, yes, he's conceited; he's reckless; and he's childish, but I broke up with him because, I think there's something going on with him and Rebekah?"

Bonnie pocketed her phone.

"-Rebekah?" Caroline asked, puzzled. "Like what?"

Bonnie sighed. "She wasn't just overprotective, she _hated_ me. It didn't matter that I loved Kol, I couldn't date someone with a sister that aggressive. I tried everything to make her like me. Kol just thought I was over-reacting, but Rebekah drove us apart, and I don't think giving it another go is going to work, not unless he decides to disown her," Bonnie vacuumed the floor near the fireplace.

Caroline frowned, making up her mind to get to the bottom of Rebekah's issue with Bonnie. She wondered what Rebekah had meant about bottling up her feelings - _what was she hiding?_

* * *

Caroline had left Bonnie, Lexi and Matt cleaning up the kitchen, whilst she checked on Elena and Rebekah.

"Can I ask you something?" Elena asked, re-organising the garbage bags into a neat line by the front door. "Shoot," Rebekah said, pulling off her yellow dishwashing gloves. Caroline looked over the newly cleaned lounge room, making sure they hadn't missed anything and wondered where Damon had got to.

"What happened between you and Bonnie?" Elena asked, thanking Stefan and Jesse, who carried the garbage bags to the outside bins. Caroline picked up Charles Dickens' _Oliver Twist_ which she found abandoned on the floor.

"Unrequited love; when someone you love, is in love with somebody else," Rebekah shrugged. _Had she heard correctly?_ Caroline leaned against the archway where they could see her. Rebekah continued, aware of Caroline's presence. "Every day I watched Bonnie and Kol grow closer, and every day my heart broke in two. I loved her, and yet, in some twisted fate to conceal my feelings, my love for her turned to hatred," she admitted.

"You love Bonnie?" Elena whispered, giving Caroline a significant look.

Rebekah nodded, turning to Caroline. "Yes. I dated Damon to spite her. I kept up the pretence because it was easier to accept than the truth." She sighed, sitting down on the vacant steps. "But if I'd told her how I felt, I wouldn't be in this mess," Rebekah sighed.

 _So that's what she meant by bottling things up,_ Caroline thought. _She was talking from experience._

Stefan and Jesse removed more bags. Caroline heard a dog barking in the distance, and extended her jumper, keeping her hands warm.

Elena sat down beside Rebekah, her hands in her lap.

"Aren't we a pair! You're broken hearted, and I'm knocked up..." Elena said for Caroline's benefit.

"B-but, you were drinking?" Caroline blurted, the concept sinking in.

Elena pointed at Rebekah. "Actually, _she_ was drinking, I was drinking water, which Matt procured for me," Elena smiled.

Caroline nodded, things were making sense. "It was all a cover?" she guessed.

Elena looked at both Rebekah and Caroline, choosing her words carefully.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to tell Damon yet. I just know, I want to keep it, and I'm willing to raise it by myself," Elena whispered.

Rebekah leaned her elbows on her knees. "If it were me, I'd want my friends to support me. Damon might be lousy boyfriend, but he's the father. At least give him the choice to be there for you," she said. "He may even surprise you," she shrugged.

For once, Caroline and Rebekah actually agreed.

"I'll think about it," Elena smiled, rising from the stairs.

Caroline turned to Rebekah, seeing her in a new light.

"So, you and Stefan, _are_ just friends?" she asked.

Rebekah nodded, "Are you going to tell on me to Bonnie?"

Caroline shook her head. "No, but you should know, she broke up with Kol, because of you. Because she thought she was standing in your way," she said.

Realization dawned on Rebekah's face, and she gasped, "Oh! What? No!"

Caroline nodded. "Maybe you should tell her the truth, just from experience, I've found it's quite freeing," Caroline smirked.

Rebekah hurried off to find Bonnie as Stefan wiped his hands on his pants. "That's everything," he said, smiling at Elena, and then at Caroline, who felt relieved.

A car door slammed, and Damon poked his head through the door. "Sorry, I had to beg the owner of a 7/11 to let me buy these," he raised two plastic bags filled with shampoo bottles. "Since we've only got six hours, I thought you guys may as well sleep here. We've got plenty of rooms to let, and-" he grinned.

"The best shower in Mystic Falls," Caroline remembered.

* * *

It took them twelve bottles of shampoo to get Damon's birthday cake out of their hair _._ Caroline woke bleary-eyed at 7am the next morning, after Lexi's alarm sounded. Her wet hair dampened her pillow, and the bed sheets knotted around her bare legs. She had slept in Bonnie's jumper, because her t-shirt still smelt like lemonade. Bonnie refused to get up until Caroline bribed her with blueberry pancakes they could smell wafting up from the kitchen.

"Morning," Caroline groaned, letting Lexi fill up her empty mug with coffee. "Those pancakes smell delicious, Damon," she said. He turned around, slipping about five onto a spare plate, and smirked at her appearance. "Nice legs," he grinned, chuckling when she tried to balance pancakes in her left hand, and pull down her jumper with her right.

She passed Aaron and Jesse on the stairs, and glanced into Stefan's room, unable to see if he was still in bed. Disappointed, she entered the spare room to find Bonnie had built a fort of pillows, keeping the sunlight from her face.

"Oh, thank god, I'm starving," Elena hissed, stealing a pancake from the plate.

"Hey! These are mine and Bonnie's, yours are downstairs," Caroline lifted the plate from Elena's reach.

Rebekah stole the second one from over Caroline's shoulder. "Thanks Caroline!" the blond walked around the room in her underwear.

"Is that...a hemp bra?" Caroline asked Rebekah, giving Elena a significant look.

Rebekah nodded. "Yes, we were just discussing it," she said, looking out of the window.

Caroline turned to a snoring Bonnie, and threw the loose blueberries at her back.

Elena licked her fingers, frowning at Caroline's outfit. "You wore that down to breakfast?" she pointed, raising her eyebrows.

Caroline shrugged. "Would you prefer I went in my underwear?" she said, looking at Rebekah.

Rebekah smirked. "Was Stefan there?" she said.

Caroline blushed, chewing the inside of her lip. "No," she said, flattening her tousled hair.

Elena gasped, scrambling over Bonnie. "Bonnie, wake up, Caroline needs our help, she's totally crushing on Stefan Salvatore!"

Bonnie rose from the pillow fort, wiping sleep from her eyes.

"You look like _Frankenstein_ ," Rebekah noted.

"I was texting Kol all night, he wouldn't shut up," Bonnie admitted.

"He never does," Rebekah laughed, opening the wardrobe at the end of the room.

Lexi poked her head into their room. "What are you still doing in bed?" she gasped.

Bonnie answered Lexi's confused expression. "Caroline's in love with the other Salvatore."

Lexi looked between Caroline, Elena and Bonnie. "Oh! I just upgraded my boom-cam!" she said.

Caroline leapt from the end of the bed, raising her hands. "No! No more games," she sighed. "I already ruined my chances with him," she said.

Rebekah interrupted. "Caroline, what were you thinking of wearing to school today?" she asked.

Caroline glanced at her lemonade soaked shirt, and back at the wardrobe filled with clothes.

* * *

Rebekah and Elena made a game of catching blueberries in their mouths as they waited for Damon and Stefan to back out their cars. Bonnie complained about Aaron and Jesse's disgusting hangover concoctions they'd brought in canisters. Lexi and Matt conversed about politics, and Caroline daydreamed about Stefan who, today, looked James Dean from _Rebel without a Cause._

Despite the nudges from Elena, indicating she should ride with Stefan, Caroline chickened out, seating herself in the front seat of the Camaro. Matt sat squashed in the back seat between Jesse and Aaron, daring them $100 if they drank their concoctions at once.

Caroline turned to Damon. "Thanks for lettings us stay last night, and cooking breakfast," she said.

He smiled, glancing at her new clothes. "You're welcome," he smiled. Caroline played with the tassels at the end of her borrowed black top, thinking.

"And I hope we can stay friends?" she pressed.

Damon nodded, turning into the school car park. "I'm sorry, for, you know, throwing the cake..." she thought aloud, as Damon parked the car.

He chuckled. "Look, Caroline, I deserved the cake and as hard as it is for you to believe me, I'm going to try to be more responsible," he said, hearing the retching noises coming from the back seat. "OUT OF THE CAR!" he yelled, watching his best friends stumble onto the ground where they vomited on the grass.

"See you in Chemistry, Caroline, I'll save you a seat," Matt said, legging it.

Damon ran his hand up the upholstery, and sighed. He leant down to kiss Caroline's cheek, but she turned her head, head-butting him in the face. He groaned. "I think you bobbed when I-," she giggled. "Weaved... yeah," she said, remembering their first kiss.

He smiled, a wistful smile. "See you around," he said, saluting to Stefan, who pulled up alongside them.

Elena, Lexi, Rebekah, Bonnie and Stefan piled out.

"Film studies," Lexi bumped into Caroline's shoulder smiling.

"Biology," Bonnie pointed to the other side of the quad.

"Damon," Elena hurried after Damon's retreating back.

"Art," Rebekah said, admiring Caroline's midriff.

The last time Caroline had been left alone in the car park, Stefan had seen right through her. This time, she hoped she could persuade him to agree to a date. She was starting afresh, with new adventures, and opportunities awaiting her.

"Hey, Stefan?" she began, forming the words in her mind.

Stefan removed his Chemistry books from the boot of his car.

"I won't be needing these anymore," he said.

Startled, Caroline asked why.

Stefan licked his bottom lip. "I'm dropping chemistry, it's not for me. Tell Alaric, I'm sorry," he dropped the books into Caroline's bewildered arms and climbed into his car.

"What about school?" she demanded.

Stefan shrugged, "I'll think of something, but you better get going, Matt's saving you a seat."

She frowned, watching Stefan give her a nod, before driving away.

Stunned by Stefan's revelation, and annoyed that she didn't have the chance to tell him how she felt, she crossed the quad, feeling as though the air was being sucked from her lungs.

"Caroline!" Elena, standing some distance away, beckoned to her.

Caroline gripped Elena's hand in support, and gave her an encouraging nod to continue, putting Stefan out of her mind.

"Damon, there's something I need to tell you," Elena began, cupping her stomach. "I'm pregnant," she whispered.

Damon stared at her, then laughed. "Good one, Elena," he said punching her in the arm.

Caroline cuffed him in the back of the neck. "Seriously? That's your reaction?" she fumed, scaring Damon a little.

"I'm pregnant, Damon," Elena repeated, unsure of how to make it any clearer. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I needed to figure out some stuff, but if you're willing, I'd love your support to help me raise it." Damon swallowed, his eyes widened, and he looked at Caroline, and then back to Elena.

"Okay," he said, and Caroline knew this was his first step towards redemption.

* * *

Caroline gave Damon and Elena a grateful smile for trying to make her feel better about Stefan. She apologised to Alaric for being late and sat down next to Matt. "Where's Stefan?" Matt asked, Caroline shrugged, she couldn't talk about it, taking his departure to heart. _Was this the price she paid for telling Damon the truth? Losing Stefan's friendship?_

Caroline picked her fingernails. "I don't know," she admitted.

There was a knock on the door, and Alaric looked up.

The whole class swivelled their heads towards the door, except Caroline, who studied the method. Matt nudged Caroline in the side, pointing to the door.

"Stefan?" she stared in disbelief, seeing him grinning in the doorway, holding a single peach-coloured rose in his hand. "What are you doing here?"

"Hit it, Matt," Stefan smiled, and she heard music coming from Matt's phone. What she didn't expect was Stefan to sing her favourite song in front of everyone in their class.

 _Tell me your troubles and doubts_

 _Giving me everything inside and out_

Stefan continued singing, and several of her classmates cheered, impressed by his talents.

 _Don't You Forget About Me_

"Caroline, do you remember that day my brother sent you dozens of roses?" Stefan asked her.

She nodded, there hadn't been any room for them all. "Well, I can only offer you one, but it's a promise of friendship, and of something more," he caressed her hand.

She smiled, accepting the rose. "Caroline Forbes, I was wondering, if you were free tonight, to see _The Fray_ , I mean, they're not exactly _Cheap Trick_ or _Simple Minds_ , but they're in town, and I managed to get tickets?" He pulled them from his leather jacket, to show her.

"Are you sure?" she asked, worried about moving too fast. _She had just dumped Damon, after all._

"Yes, I'm sure, you're perfect, Caroline," he blurted, blushing. Some of their classmates 'awwed' and Matt grinned, giving Caroline a reassuring nod. Stefan stuttered, "Yes, because you're smarter than me, and so far not flammable. Peace out," he grinned, walking to the back of the classroom.

Caroline pointed to the door with the rose he'd given her. "Stefan, the door is that way?" she smirked.

He raised his eyebrows. "Actually, I was just getting a stool, since this is my class, you know, chemistry, where we blow shit up?"

"Actually, I'd advise you against blowing shit up, Stefan," Alaric said. "Unless, I'm present."

Stefan and Caroline grinned, and Matt moved his stool to make room for Stefan. "Just not my eyebrows, ever again," Matt warned.

 **A/N: There will be an epilogue of sorts, and more surprises to come. *Note - the legal drinking age in Australia is 18, not 21 oops! R &R x**


	6. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: Not mine as much as I wish. A/N: Sorry for the wait. Just started my Early childhood course (new career objectives) & I've started on assessments. On top of that, my writing muse has been non-existent. Sorry if this isn't the best. Reviews welcome x**

 **Epilogue**

 **6.**

 _Elena felt the dig of the Bunsen burner against her tail bone, a minor distraction from Damon's passionate kisses against her neck. A giggle escaped her - this was ludicrous - he'd just dumped her for Rebekah, and hadn't she made a promise to the other girls, to take him down?_

 _Damon paused, tilted his head and studied the tears still clinging to her eyelashes. She gripped his neck, studying the red splodges left behind from hers and Lexi's slaps. She wondered if anyone had noticed her take his hand and pull him into the empty classroom, locking the door behind them?_

 _He caressed her cheek, curling her wavy hair behind her ear, then held her gaze with his intense blue eyes, which still made her heart skip a beat. She gasped in anticipation as his hooked finger dragged her knickers south. His hands disappeared from her back, pulling her legs forwards around his waist._

 _"Damon..." she gasped his name beneath the buzzing lab light and prayed nobody could see in through the half-closed blinds. He pulled his belt free, and she helped push his pants down, eager to forget their break up and instead remember how combatable they were when it came to sex._

 _Their intimacy had always been her weakness, and deep down, Elena knew their reunion was just their way of saying goodbye._

 _9 months later_

"Oh my god, Damon!"

The inquisitive face of Emily Salvatore looked up at her parents from the blanket in Elena's arms. The blinds were half closed, and Damon had run several anxious hand movements through his hair over the last few hours to ease his anxiety, as they waited for the birth of their daughter.

"She's beautiful," Damon whispered, edging closer to the hospital bed.

Elena eyed his hesitant expression, and extended her arms towards him.

"Do you want to hold her?" she asked.

Entranced, Damon bent over and raised Emily to his chest, brushing a tentative finger over her soft cheeks. Her blue eyes shined with mischief and she emitted a laugh mirroring that of her mother's.

"She's ours alright," he smirked, rocking their daughter to and fro in his arms, and catching Elena's beaming smile out of the corner of his eye.

Rebekah walked inside without acknowledging herself, ladled with several shopping bags.

"What are those?" Damon scrutinised, glancing at Elena whose eyes lit up at her girlfriend's arrival.

Rebekah looked down at her bags. "Elena's new wardrobe," she said. "I'm not leaving you in that unflattering hospital gown, it's _hideous..._ besides, you haven't anything to wear _except_ maternity clothes." She lifted the other bags in her right hand. "These are presents for Emily, from all of us."

Damon and Elena heard voices outside the hospital room.

"Is that _pink_ champagne!"

"Yep, from the Mikaelson cellar."

The loudest voice belonged to Caroline.

Damon smiled to himself, reminding himself to thank her for everything she'd done for them in the preparation of Emily's birth, including frequent grocery shops, organizing the baby shower the previous night, and having Stefan map out the fastest route to the hospital, denying she had the idea from the movie, _Father of The Bride_.

"Is this the right room?"

"Damn, we forgot the serviettes!"

The door opened and Caroline peeked inside, eyes bright with excitement in anticipation of meeting Emily in person, not counting the time Damon met Caroline after cheerleading practice to show her Elena's ultrasound photo. Damon smiled, it was hard not to smile when Caroline was in the room.

"Oh my gosh, Emily?" Caroline squeaked, hiding her excitement behind her palms.

"Looks like Elena," Lexi noted, eyeing 'Baby Salvatore' snuggled against Damon's chest.

"I think she looks more like Damon," Elena said, giving her ex, a grin.

"Well, she's certainly got Damon's strength," Matt winced shaking his finger from Emily's grip.

Stefan returned Damon's relieved smile and raised the take-away containers in his hands.

"Thought you might be hungry," Stefan unpacked the Chinese containers on the foot of Elena's bed, handing out chopsticks. "Fried rice, tofu and vegetables for Elena, Teriyaki chicken... and fortune cookies for desert," he smiled at Caroline from across the room, watching her nursing Emily.

Bonnie sat on Elena's left, scoffing down her fried rice, and flipping through old gossip magazines.

"Sorry I'm late, had to park the car," Kol swaggered inside, flipping his car keys into his hand. He hugged his former teammate, and acknowledged Elena with a nod. "Can't believe you're a dad."

"Me either," Damon watched Emily's eyelids flutter, her hand latched onto Caroline's finger.

"My turn," Lexi put down her Chinese and let go of Matt's hand.

Caroline and Damon noticed at the same time, that Matt's shirt was buttoned wrongly.

"Did you two...?" Caroline scrutinized, eying the two lovebirds, who blushed at the attention.

"Well, we had to pass the time somehow..." Lexi admitted, flashing them a smile.

"Hey, this is a hanky-panky free zone," Damon interrupted, trying to shield his daughter.

Caroline, Elena and Bonnie giggled, and Lexi thrived knowing she'd made Damon uncomfortable by discussing her love life. Matt's cheeks flushed the colour of beetroot. She swatted Damon's hands aside until he relented, letting her nurse Emily next.

"So how long are you staying for?" Stefan asked, eyeing the shopping bags Rebekah had left by Elena's drawers. He raised his eyebrows at Rebekah, as she unlatched herself from Elena's lips.

"Rebekah's packed for the next ice age!" Kol interjected from the chair beside Elena, digging into Bonnie's unfinished fried rice.

"Shut up, I have not," Rebekah said, annoyed at her brother. "I just want what's best," she sighed.

"I love you," Elena whispered, kissing Rebekah sweetly and grasping her hand in comfort.

Lexi brought Emily over to Elena, and they all assembled around the bed to watch Elena and Damon open their presents for their newborn. There were assorted drink bottles, baby clothes, all sorts of stuffed animals, and then, Elena pulled out a white crochet baby blanket with a blue ribbon strung through its edges. Her eyes caught sight of Damon's, and she detached the card from the wrapping paper.

 _To Emily,_

 _For shielding you from monsters,_

 _or keeping you toasty warm._

 _For building tents and hideouts_

 _or magic carpet rides._

 _For the adventures you'll never forget,_

 _and the memory I'll keep, knowing_

 _something of mine, is in good hands._

 _Your Godparents,_

 _Caroline & Stefan._

Elena gave Emily to Rebekah to nurse so she could hug Caroline, professing her thanks. At first, Caroline was alarmed by Elena's willingness to leave the hospital bed, especially since she'd only delivered Emily a few hours before, but then, bed-rest or lie-ins were Caroline's worst nightmare.

Damon prised Elena's fingers off Caroline, and watched her use the end of her bed to thank Stefan.

"Thank you Caroline. I don't know how we would have gotten this far without you," Damon said, resting his hand against her arm in such a formal fashion that Caroline rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around him, burying her chin against his leather jacket.

"I do recall a moment when you almost didn't," she whispered.

 _"Damon? You okay?"_

 _Caroline ventured, sitting on the porch and looking up at the sleek grey clouds, hiding the stars._

 _"Fine," he grunted without acknowledging her. "You don't have to babysit me."_

 _She glimpsed the photo on his phone causing his bad mood, and sighed._

 _"You're still her father, Damon, and you always will be, no matter who Elena's in a relationship with."_

 _"That's what I keep telling him. But he won't listen," Stefan sang from the doorway._

 _"Someone doesn't want me in her life," Damon sculled his bourbon._

 _"You're over thinking this," Stefan called out. "Nobody has a problem with you, not anymore."_

 _Damon lowered his almost empty bottle, and turned to Caroline._

 _"Jeremy Gilbert. He hates me, and for good reason. I broke his sister's heart, and, yeah, thanks to Caroline, I know what that feels like," Damon said._

 _Caroline confiscated his alcohol, removing it from his reach. "Listen to me, you made a decision to be more responsible, to be there for your family. Elena knows that. She knows you traded in the pool table to buy a cot, she knows that you and Stefan baby-proofed the entire Salvatore House last weekend, and she told me herself how_ _excited she is to raise this baby with you. So, how about you get up, wear a smile and make this Baby shower an unforgettable night you'll both remember?"_

Caroline pulled apart from Damon, and smiled. "You're going to be such a kickass father!" and with that she curled a strand of hair behind her ear and went to clean up the empty Chinese containers with Stefan's help.

Damon's thoughts lingered on her after she left.

Caroline always believed in him, and it was her belief which encouraged him to do his best. He knew he would always love her, and maybe she knew it too, but for the sake of his brother, and the promise Damon had made to Emily, he needed to move on, like Elena had moved on with Rebekah.

"Sorry to be a buzz kill, but visiting hours are almost over," Damon said over the racket. "Emily and I will walk you out," he said, picking up his daughter from Rebekah's arms.

He gave Rebekah a reassuring smile.

He wanted to ensure there were no hard feelings, that he had accepted Elena's decision, and all that really mattered to him was Emily had a family that loved her.

After another round of hugs and goodbyes, Damon pulled the hospital door shut, talking to Emily, and witnessed Rebekah helping remove Elena's hospital gown, to try on the clothes she'd bought.

"So, college acceptance letters arrive yet?"

Damon directed the question at Caroline, chuckling when everyone else groaned.

"That reminds me..." she said, dropping her bag off her shoulder to rummage inside it.

Much to everyone's amazement, she pulled out letters for all, except Kol and Damon.

"I bribed the post office with Rebekah's snicker doodles," Caroline smiled, handing them out.

"Rebekah's what?" Matt asked, looking confused.

"Biscuits, get your mind out of the gutter, Donovan!" Damon smirked, looking at Emily and wondering if she'd follow in her mother's or father's footsteps.

"So, what's the verdict?" he watched them reading their acceptance letters so attentively.

"Whitmore," they finally answered, relieved.

"Great," Damon looked at Emily and wondered if she'd follow in her mother's footsteps or his own.

 **A/N: this is very different to how I first envisioned it. I knew from the start, I wanted Damon to be enamoured by his daughter, and attempting to move on from Caroline... Emily is a direct result of Emma/Lily merged together. There's youtuber,** _ **LittlemissyProdz**_ **, who's created NextGen vids using the name Emma (I also realised when I first started writing that I subconsciously began writing Ross/two lesbians SL from F.r.i.e.n.d.s. OOPS! I don't want to compare Damon to Ross, mainly because I can't stand Ross, but I wanted a better outcome for Damon. This story was always meant to have a Beklena endgame. Lastly, how did you guys feel about the other endgames? Be sure to voice your opinions, no hate, but constructive criticism is always welcome. R &R x**

 **p.s. stay tuned for a smutty Beklena one shot coming soon.**

 **p.p.s. updating other stories before continuing with my SC movieshots, but huge thanks to you all for your patience.**


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